Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow
by Baymaksu
Summary: After the Countdown to Catastrophe was averted, Abigail Callaghan is drawn back to San Fransokyo. Finally meeting her rescuer, Abigail and Hiro embark on a special project. Through it, a friendship grows and healing truly begins. Together with the rest of the team, they must contend with challenges along the way. Ch36, "Legacy (Final Part)" is now up!
1. The Silent Sparrow Speaks

**Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction ever, honestly never thought I would be one to write one but I am a big fan of Big Hero 6 and the series. This is set past the conclusion of Season 1's "Countdown to Catastrophe" and just a little into the next season. **

**It's something I created to fill a gap in the story I have been wanting in the series to address, the whereabouts of Abigail Callaghan since the conclusion of the story. And the implications of her return and interactions with the series' characters, especially her father and Hiro.  
**

**The great thing about a character like her that has so little to work off of in the source material, I have taken a lot of creative freedom that expand on her in a plausible manner. **

**While this chapter may be a bit more action oriented and only begins to lead towards the integration of Abigail to the main storyline, I hope it helps to provide the audience with a sense of her character, personality and motivations.**

**Please, by all means, leave any reviews with recommendations for improvement and/or what you like in these following chapters.**

**Enjoy!**

**Warning: Light violence**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 1: The Silent Sparrow Speaks**

Within a vast hanger, a lone prototype aircraft sits at the end of a long, railed runway. At the height of the structure was a control room, complete with various screens and virtual mappings of the surrounding area. It was a space that hosted the likes of various prominent members of military and government leadership. Present to spectate the battle testing of the prototype. Within the prototype aircraft, the pilot was conducting her final pre-flight checks.

"Well, the world is watching you. The success of this project wholly depends on you now. No pressure, of course," an enthusiastic voice rang through the pilot's internal communication system within the cockpit.

With a confident smirk, the young, female pilot responded, "Wonderful. Might as well give them a show to remember."

"Then, the stage is all yours, Ms. Callaghan," her supervisor said in a playful but encouraging tone. It belonged to her superior, Mr. Shinji Tanaka. She appreciated his candid and relaxed personality, even under the high stakes at this final phase of the project.

Abigail briefly found herself reflecting on how she arrived to this point in life. She was grateful to be a part of this project. After she was rescued through the portal of the failed "Project Silent Sparrow"—having been stranded on the "other side"— she immediately dove back into her work as a test pilot for various military technology contractors across the country and overseas.

Although the circumstances for her desire to work away from home were… complicated. She knew that, despite enjoying what she was currently doing, she couldn't escape the feeling that she was running away from what happened there… her disappearance in that catastrophic accident… and what her father did in his grief for her.

Abigail Callaghan, after being treated and debriefed of her experiences in that different dimension, would promptly move to pouring herself from project to project. In this case, she was approached and selected personally by Mr. Shinji Tanaka, the co-founder of Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries, to test pilot a prominent military project. It was designed to challenge the trend of military aircrafts being unmanned. To bring back a certain human touch of innovation, ingenuity and the amassed personal experience that even today's advanced Artificial Intelligence processing cannot yet replicate.

She was part of Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries' secretive "Project APOLLO," a prototype proposed for rapid deployment by the military and self-defense forces. It was aptly named after the NASA's Apollo space missions (prior to the absorption of NASA into the International Space Agency or ISA), where when digital systems failed, human ingenuity and creativity allowed for disasters to be averted or ensured mission success.

The project's hallmark: to integrate a smart A.I., named "ODIN," which was capable of providing comprehensive real-time situational awareness and battlespace intel, while having the aircraft, itself, operated by a skilled, seasoned human pilot. That pilot would be yours truly. It was designed with the hope of creating a synergistic and symbiotic relationship between human and A.I. for augmented and unparalleled aerial combat performance.

To reduce the input time of controls and decrease reaction time for enhanced maneuvering, it would utilize a neurotransmitter that would directly translate the thoughts of the pilot into the APOLLO's flight control system (FLCS). It's performance directly reflecting Abigail's tactical decision-making and hyper-focused skills under duress. This neurotransmitter technology was notably provided by Krei Tech Industries, her former employer. Although, it was rumored to have been based on the designs of a certain gifted student's school project at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.

Unfortunately, Abigail was fully aware of this project, since it was the very same technology that her father stole and abused to exact retribution on Alistair Krei. She did not want to dwell on this, it was a complicated and painful situation... to see what her father became and those he hurt in her name. But at times, these thoughts would intrude her headspace. Keeping herself busy would keep them at bay, focusing on tasks after tasks, projects after projects...

Snapping back to focus, she prepared herself. "Well, ODIN, you ready for this?" the pilot asked, affectionately petting the aircraft like an owner would their furry companion. "/Systems operational. Standing by to commence operation/," the computerized, formal male voice of the A.I. ODIN responded. Abigail chuckled at her A.I.'s monotonous and systemized responses, hoping they can eventually make him more personable and have a more natural voice generated.

"Good, I guess we are up then," the female pilot stated jovially as she settled in fully. Prompting the slender, young woman to don her helmet over her chestnut brown hair, neatly styled into a ponytail. Shown in capital letters, "CALLAGHAN" written on the side of her helmet. Taking a deep breath and exhaling calmly, she closed her eyes to give herself a brief moment of calm stillness.

"APOLLO 1, BASE TOWER, you are clear to commence the test," a more notably formal and monotonous voice announced through the communication systems.

Opening her eyes to reveal her large blue eyes, her pupils moderately dilating in anticipation for her performance. Abigail smiles confidently, "Then it's showtime."

The prototype APOLLO aircraft was then swiftly propelled along the long runway of the hanger, Abigail grinned ear to ear as she felt the immense G-forces along her body from the sheer speed of the aircraft. Its sleek design allowed the aircraft to pierce quickly across an open valley, as Abigail took note of the surrounding terrain features.

"/Multiple threats detected. Displaying twelve unmanned aerial combat drones approaching in two separate formations/," ODIN informed the female pilot. Immediately, ODIN began highlighting on Abigail's HUD (heads-up display) the presence of various unmanned aerial combat drones at a distance but closing in on them.

"Well, I hope our audience likes fireworks!" Abigail exclaimed as she accelerated towards one formation of drones, while sending long-range missiles towards the other formation coming from another direction. "Next toy to try out," she says giddily as she fires the APOLLO's Gauss projectile accelerator coil-gun, sending rounds at incredible speeds through rails of electromagnetic coiling that struck several drones at distance with deadly precision. Highlighting her intuitive skills to predict their evasive trajectories.

With both the drones and herself approaching each other quickly, they shortly arrived within engaging distance of both forces' short-range missiles and 20mm cannons. To display its capabilities for the test, the APOLLO was equipped with live fire armaments. However, the expendable drones were equipped with rather large paint rounds and dummy missiles for simulation purposes, a precaution to not damage the prototype or endanger the human test pilot. But still providing a realistic simulation of this aerial engagement, taking hits from these would potentially reflect poorly for the project and simulate her being shot down. Abigail was determined to avoid every round shot towards her, to show that humans still have value in a world now dominated by technology.

Ms. Callaghan, in her relatively young career time, had already gained an illustrious reputation for her victories against both human- and A.I.- piloted training "dogfights" and she had developed a massive working knowledge on how to engage even the most skilled ace opponents. This reputation was justified in front of the spectating government and military officials in awe, as Abigail skillfully maneuvered to avoid enemy fire but successfully destroyed several drones with her 20mm cannons lining up with their trajectories.

The second formation arrived within range, this time firing their own missiles at Abigail. "Welcome to the party! You come bearing gifts?" she playfully "greeted" the next formation of drones as she uses her aircraft's airborne laser weapon systems. These were designed to emit high energy directionally at targeted incoming missiles to neutralize them before they can reach the aircraft. It had multiple systems along the prototype, allowing the pilot to target multiple missiles at once. But this required skillful focus by the pilot while conducting other maneuvers.

However, this was not an issue for Abigail. She was known for having an uncanny ability to operate multiple functions at any given time, bringing the illusion of multi-tasking when she was actually processing back and forth between all of the inputs and stimuli that allowed her to fight, maneuver and observe the battle space seamlessly.

Admittedly, she attributes this ability to her father, who has shown this same capability. Something he used in his work in robotic sciences, his career as head professor and during his prior military service. Unfortunately, it was this ability that also allowed Callaghan to control a massive amount of microbots to capture Alistair Krei, rebuild Silent Sparrow and fight and contain all the members of Big Hero 6 simultaneously.

"/Another contingent of enemy targets approaching from the southwest, twelve total targets/" the A.I. ODIN said, making Abigail aware of the next group as she finishes off the initial two formations. Having an idea, she quickly requests, "ODIN, could you please display an overview of the nearby city?" ODIN displayed a digital map of the nearby mock city, an uninhabited metropolis created specifically for war games. Studying the brief map overview, Abigail decides to accelerate towards the city and attract the drones into that direction.

"Ummm, Ms. Callaghan? Where are you going? This wasn't part of the plan," Mr. Tanaka inquired, although still in a rather relaxed tone but genuinely curious of Abigail's deviation from their operational game plan. "I'm going off-script a little, relax. What's the use of having all of this 'playground' if it's not going to be in play?" Abigail playfully responded to her superior in the internal comms.

"I trust you know what you're doing," her superior chuckled, having faith in her abilities to think on the fly. "You know it," she laughed as she began to maneuver between the skyscraper buildings and even flying right along the city streets at a dangerously low altitude. At this point, the drones were on her tail but several were already crashing into buildings in their pursuit. As she weaved through the city, she began to maneuver into areas of the city and at angles that she could destroy the incoming drones.

"Whoah. You're killing it out there. You are a machine. You're definitely worth every penny hiring you, Ms. Callaghan," Mr. Tanaka laughed in the comms. "You have one more group incoming, let's get this done so we can go for a celebratory bite after this. My treat." Abigail shook her head, smiling, "Boss, you sure know how to treat a lady."

Focusing on the last group, ODIN displayed their approach to Abigail. "Looks like the last of our guests have arrived at the party. Time to give them a little welcoming surprise," she smirked, enjoying her job way too much. She noted that the drones were still not in view, due to a building standing between them. She knew the limitations of the current programming of combat drones, that they were based on algorithms from strict standard operating procedures. She knew, that these drones would try to take the most efficient route to her but avoid the building as obstacles in their way. She accelerated directly towards the building between her and the drones. For her, the obstacle was the way.

"ODIN, identify which floor of the building ahead has the most clearing with least obstructions at current trajectory," Abigail requested of her A.I. "/The 52nd floor has the most clearance at your current trajectory. Highlighting on your display. Be advised, it is a small opening, please proceed with caution./" ODIN responded as it highlighted the small sliver of the building that Abigail wanted through her HUD. "That's sweet, thanks for the concern, ODIN," she joked to the A.I., having complete confidence in her abilities as she adjusted her heading.

By this time, the drones were closing in and preparing to maneuver around the building just as she predicted. "Uhhh, Ms. Callaghan, you do know there's a building in front of you?" her superior said nervously through the comms. "Precisely," she said as she had maneuvered the aircraft into the building, passing through the mock building's business office cubicles and narrowly missing the floor and ceiling with precision. She emerged through the windows on other side of the building. At an advantageous position, she was on the tail of her pursuers and made short work of them.

"APOLLO 1, BASE TOWER. ENDEX, I say again, ENDEX," the formal voice returned. It was the end of the exercise.

"Nearly gave me a heart attack, hotshot. Have to say, you really put on a show for our guests. That contract is almost guaranteed now, tremendous work. Now get back here and let's celebrate with the rest of the team," Mr. Tanaka said, not attempting to hide his giddy excitement.

Abigail returned to the hanger bay promptly, being greeted by Mr. Tanaka who introduced her to the entourage of generals and government officials. Showering her with praise, she kindly corrected them that it is the aircraft's development team that should get praise for their design. "I only get to play with the cool toys they make," she said jokingly, even being around very formal high-ranking officials. Impressed with the design and her piloting skills, the project was well-received and its future prospects promising.

As Mr. Tanaka promised, he then had Abigail and the APOLLO development team come together for a celebratory dinner. The atmosphere was one of delight in their success, triumph over so many technical and bureaucratic hurdles and an air of the connection between a team, a family. With the things that were going on in her life, she appreciated this time to share connections with people that consider her part of their family.

"Ms. Callaghan, thank you for agreeing to come onto this project. I hope it is okay to say... When I approached you, I had heard that you were moving from project to project directly after returning from… that 'far-off place.' And I don't mean to assume, but I believe I know why. Regardless of what … he did… you are making a respectable name for yourself. You are your own person. Although, I pray that you will be able to slow down and process everything that has happened since you were gone…" Mr. Tanaka said in a caring and yet solemn tone that Abigail has never seen. A smile suddenly returned on his face, in a heartfelt manner he told her, "But I sincerely want to thank you on behalf of the development team, you showcased what their labors had produced. I hope the best for your future endeavors, Ms. Callaghan."

Abigail smiled back, but found herself having a hard time responding to him. So she could only say "Thank you for everything, Mr. Tanaka," and came in for a hug. She appreciated his sentiment. He was a caring, fatherly man, perhaps the near same age as her father. But his words, while bringing up many emotions within her, were genuinely caring and comforting with his understanding.

Suddenly, one of the members of the APOLLO development team rushed into the room to get Abigail's attention. "Guys! Ms. Callaghan… I am sorry… I think you should see this," he said in a distressingly, serious tone. Mr. Tanaka and Abigail followed the crowd of team members congregated around one of their digital monitor screens. As they made their way upfront to view live news development being shown on the monitor, Abigail immediately noticed it was showing San Fransokyo... her home.

The headlines of the developing news story read, "A Second Great Catastrophe Narrowly Averted." The news anchor revealed, "The city of San Fransokyo was nearly completely destroyed, experiencing a series of bizarre events that researchers say would have caused more damage than the Great Catastrophe of 1906. Although the circumstances are still unclear, it was reported that the folks of San Fransokyo witnessed what appeared to be a star hovering over its lighthouse." Abigail was shocked and became uneasy, hearing the story unfold. It continued, "The star was said to cause a massive explosion after it became unstable, the blast would've destroyed nearly all of San Fransokyo. If it weren't for a sudden massive tsunami wave that seemed to stop it from causing damage."

Abigail was speechless, still processing it all. She thought to herself that this could not be happening, this could not be real. But the team members around her, in their commotion, began to see what the other news sites would say about the situation. One of the news sites had a local video recording submitted, the sight of it left everyone silent as their eyes were completely focused on the unreal situation. They witnessed the event, the bright star that arose from the lighthouse, hovering over the San Fransokyo bay. As it began to implode, it sent a terrifying shockwave of energy that threatened to overtake the city. But the person recording the video on his phone, while attempting to be steadily record the situation, would capture a massive green object meteor down into the bay, causing a massive tsunami wave that engulfed the star's shockwave. And to everyone's surprise, a large pink wall around the pier of the Fish City district was able to stop the now oncoming massive wave.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind now, this was a true catastrophe that could have ended in tragedy and massive loss in an instant. But to the members who knew Abigail, including Mr. Tanaka, they looked to her with concern, knowing that she grew up there and that she had a... certain family member there. Abigail's mind raced and emotions were beginning to overtake her, she could feel the rapid palpitations of her heartbeat. Attempting to focus and hide her emotional distress, she tried to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes. As she attempted to process this near disaster, she came to the harsh realization of what she would have lost if it wasn't averted.

Admittedly, she was trying to escape the truth of her father and his actions. She wanted to stay away from him, she felt immense anger, guilt, shame and sadness towards the "Silent Sparrow Incident." A part of her somehow believed that she was the cause of it all, had she not volunteered to participate in that project, she would have never been stranded and her father wouldn't have hurt people.

There was still so much to process and heal from the incident, but she realized that she would have lost so many opportunities had San Fransokyo been destroyed. And along with it, would've been her father, who despite all things considered she still loved and wanted to be able to forgive him... to reconnect with him. With her mother having passed away, he was all that she had left in the world. If he was gone, there would have been the regret of never coming to visit him again after she returned. The regret of never mending things with him.

Deep in thought, she then saw that someone had switched the channel to San Fransokyo's own news network. And with it, the familiar news anchor, Bluff Dunder reported, "It was a countdown to catastrophe. But thanks again to Big Hero 6, I am fine... And the city is too.. which is what I was worried about. Who are these mysterious do-gooders?" And then it was followed by various images of San Fransokyo's citizens thanking and taking pictures with San Fransokyo's own local team of heroes, Big Hero 6.

Among the images, one particular one had caught Abigail's eyes immediately. Surrounded by children swarming around a small figure, a young hero clad in purple armor is shown to be squeezed in for a photo. Standing next to a school bus, it was clear that the children revered him and his team. Rightfully so. Although the visor of his helmet was slightly tinted to conceal his identity, it was possible to slightly see the shy smile of a boy beneath it.

This was the boy who had, along with his team, apprehended her father at the Krei Tech Industries building that was being torn apart by the unstable Silent Sparrow portal. This was also the very same boy who risked his life to save Abigail's life, and as she had heard briefly from her father, had also lost a friend to the "other side" of Silent Sparrow.

It is by no surprise that he and his team would risk themselves to protect the city from that mysterious star that threatened it. But, had they been unable to succeed... Abigail realized that she would have regretted never meeting her rescuer, to properly thank him for what he had done for her. Truthfully, she had only heard so little about him, and wanted to get to know him. Her father knew his actual identity…

It appears that despite her attempts to avoid San Fransokyo, to avoid anything that had to do with her father… she was being called back home to face these issues regardless of what she would do to stay away. She would have to face her father and her feelings towards him. And perhaps, could she hope to atone for the sins of her father? She had to steel herself, it was an inevitable outcome that she would have to return home. But she was going to do so of her own volition, of her own accord. If she had to face it then she must commit to it head on.

"Ms. Callaghan… Abigail.. are you doing alright?" Mr. Tanaka inquired, an almost fatherly concern shown in his expression. Abigail looked at him, smiling reassuringly, "Yeah… looks like I'm coming home."


	2. The Death of a Phantom

**Author's Note: While I certainly have a tentative outline for the sequence of events that will be covered in this series, I wanted to thank those who provide me with reviews. This creative process is always changing and growing, and your input certainly helps me to explore different directions. Sincerely, thank you for the feedback and please keep them coming.**

**As a fair warning or disclaimer, this chapter will be… rather serious. And some of the imagery may not sit well with some readers. But I hope that it will help to show the impact of the events within the movie. Perhaps even provoke some sympathy… or not. Curious how this chapter will be received. A bit shorter, but wanted to be from one perspective for this part of the story.**

**While I deemed that the story would have to go towards a serious tone at this part of it, I promise that it won't all be dark clouds and there will be moments of sunshine and happiness lol. I am really enjoying this process if anything else. Please enjoy and stay tuned!**

**Warning: Light violence, Possibly Disturbing Imagery**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 2: The Death of a Phantom**

Within the elongated halls of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's renowned Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, roamed a tall middle-aged man dressed in a green sweater vest, blue dress shirt and dark brown slacks. Beneath his graying hair and slightly wrinkled, fair skin, his large blue eyes gazed affectionately around this building he had long since come to love as a familiar, "second home." It was a place where brilliant young minds were developed and challenged to succeed. With several documents in hand, Professor Callaghan began to walk towards the elevator to return to his main office on the other side of the campus. Until, he suddenly heard an excited voice beaming across the halls, emanating from one his student's personal labs.

"You work! I can't- I can't believe it! Okay, all right. Big moment here. Scan me…" the voice rang out with unrestrained elation and anticipation. "/Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated. This indicates you are happy./" a robotic voice responded, its tone both informative and yet oddly warm or comforting despite its lack of overt emotional expression. Professor Callaghan recognized these voices, with a warm and proud smile worn on his face, he walked curiously in their direction.

"I am. I really am. Oh man, wait 'til my brother sees you. You're going to help so many people, buddy. So many. That's all for now, I am satisfied with my care," Tadashi said with an expression of exhilaration and triumphant pride. After 84 separate test trials to get his programming functioning properly, Tadashi had made a tremendous stride in developing his robotic healthcare companion.

"It seems you've made quite the breakthrough, Mr. Hamada," Professor Callaghan spoke proudly to his protege, as he opened the door of Tadashi's lab. As he walked in, he saw Tadashi's creation deflate neatly into a red, compact charging container on the floor. "Professor Callaghan! I have! It certainly took a 'few' tries, but I just could never bring myself to give up on Baymax and it really paid off!" Tadashi exclaimed, beaming with an ecstatic expression at the progress of his passion project. His excitement almost childlike and energetic.

These trials required unyielding perseverance to reach any progress, a fact that was not lost on Professor Callaghan. But this was why he had spent much of his time specifically mentoring Tadashi. His beloved protege aspired to dedicate the development of his technology towards helping people and bettering the world. For Professor Callaghan, Tadashi epitomized his own ideals of using technology to shape the future, beyond simply improving technology for personal gain or vanity.

Professor Callaghan shared in this moment with his most promising and beloved student, wearing a warm, fatherly smile at the pride he felt for Tadashi. It was a moment he wanted to cherish…

Until suddenly, the walls around the two began to combust and became rapidly engulfed in flames. "What's happening? No! Tadashi!" the professor yelled as he witnessed this surreal horror, reaching out his hands towards his student to pull him away from the flames. But instead, Tadashi did not seem to notice the flames and looked towards his professor with an expression of concern towards his mentor. "Professor Callaghan? What's wrong?" Tadashi asked with caring concern, still oblivious to the flames that were now engulfing his body.

Horrified, Callaghan yelled for his student with an agonizing sense of powerlessness. He was perplexed at his inability to move, feeling a massive force that seemed to pull him away. It was actively stopping him from reaching towards his protege in an attempt to rescue him. In complete terror, the professor watched as his student was now unrecognizable. The silhouette of Tadashi's image, a figure of burnt ash that was crumbling and fading away. The only thing that would not burn or fade away, his black San Fransokyo Ninja baseball cap that he would seldom be seen without. The iconic hat, slowly falling to the floor.

Suddenly, the force that was holding Callaghan back became more visible and had grown exponentially in size. Professor Callaghan felt the chaotic movement of small machines around him, as they formed a massive black tendril that enwrapped him and pulled him outside of the building. However, he noticed that he was not outside the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab… he recognized the surroundings of a white, modern architectural structure that was now being torn apart as fragments floated towards the sky. He was outside of the Krei Tech Industries headquarters building.

He was then pulled violently across the plaza, where the tendril of microbots lifted and suspended him in the air as he attempted to resist. Looming before the professor, a dark, intimidating figure emerged beneath the aggregation of the small machinery. Donning a long black coat, he floated menacingly towards the professor and seemingly glared at him through the "eyes" of a Kabuki mask.

The mask shifted upwards, terrifying Professor Callaghan. It revealed beneath the mask was the face of Callaghan, but with unfettered hatred possessing his expression. A face that was obviously familiar, and yet oddly not recognizable to the professor, in disbelief of what he was seeing. As the phantom opened his mouth to speak to the enwrapped professor, the mismatched voice that erupted out of the phantom would haunt Callaghan to his very soul. Yokai spoke to Callaghan, but his voice was not his own, but rather the anguished voice of the young boy, Hiro Hamada, "You just let him die… He went in there to save you!"

Professor Callaghan sat up explosively from his bed, gasping to catch his breath as his heart pounded incessantly. Shaking uncontrollably, his hands in tremors, as his eyes searched around him to realize that he was not at the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab nor the Krei Tech Industries building. Adjusting to the reality of where he was, he touched the transparent wall next to him as he attempted to calm himself down. Within these confined, transparent walls and bright white surroundings, his panicked breathing echoed within the room and his head. "That… nightmare again…" he muttered to himself weakly, exhausted at the ordeal.

Hiro's anguished words that he spoke to him in the nightmare and at their fated encounter on Akuma Island, echoed sharply in Callaghan's mind. His tormented thoughts wandered towards the young boy, recalling the day that he was surprised to be visited by him. Of course, he only came to learn more about Professor Callaghan's former SFIT colleague, Grace Granville. He fully understood that there was a possibility the boy would not forgive him or would even respond harshly. But he knew it had to be said, he was compelled to take that opportunity to thank Hiro for rescuing his Abigail and… apologize for what happened to Tadashi from his own selfish actions. Sorrowfully, he recalled Hiro's parting words, "Tadashi… would've wanted me to forgive you… Someday, I hope I can."

The former professor smiled to himself in a self-admonishing way, thinking to himself that he was foolish to even hope that Hiro would forgive him. He painfully understood what he had inadvertently taken away from the young boy. In his confinement, with only time to himself, Callaghan found that he was now mourning and processing the grief at the loss of his beloved protege, Tadashi. And at his own hands… He wondered if he could even forgive himself, or that there was any possibility to make amends to the Hamada's.

His eyes drifted around his cell, always drawn to the one thing in it that was the one thing that was truly his. He stared at the photograph hung up on the wall, the image of his precious daughter in her pilot suit, seemingly smiling back at him. His dearest Abigail… she too could not forgive him for the things he did, all in the name of avenging her apparent death. When Abigail had recovered, she would visit him only once… but as she learned of the events that transpired after her disappearance in that accursed project, she couldn't even stand to look at her own father. And thereafter, Callaghan had never heard from her since. He had nowhere else to take solace in his life, aside from the reality that at least he knew that his Abigail was safe. At least, he could take comfort that she was back. And with her return, the phantom, "Yokai," had died.

Deep in thought as he sat staring at his hands as if they were stained in blood, Callaghan did not notice someone enter through the doorway beyond his cell until he saw them in his periphery. His eyes slowly raised to see the beloved person that was everything to him, all he had left in this life. Abigail stood before him, her face holding a nearly cold expression as she attempted to restrain her emotions. "Hey, Dad…"


	3. We Shape the Future

**Author's Note: Really rolling out with the chapters, back to back. Trying to take advantage of the time I have now to put this together and when my brain is working the way I want it to lol. And while the series' season two is on hiatus, I am just aching for BH6 content. So this appeases me a bit to put something together and imagine.**

**Please feel free to review, provide some feedback on what is good and what could use improvement. Or suggestions on things you would like to see. I am enjoying the process and where this story will lead. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 3: We Shape the Future**

The large blue eyes of the former professor widened, looking in disbelief and wondered if he was still actually dreaming. Or was this truly his daughter standing before him, beyond his transparent confines. Professor Callaghan's mouth opened as he quickly stood up from his seat, his hand reaching out in front of him. "Abby…. Is that really you?" the middle-aged man spoke softly yet questioning that this was reality or another dream.

Abigail looked to him and then found her gaze falling towards the floor, rubbing her hand along her forearm as a sense of shame crept within her. "Yeah Dad, it's really me," she responded in a low voice. Despite the tempest of emotions that was raging violently within her… she did feel guilty for completely leaving her father here alone. She saw the toll exacted on him, being left to his own devices. The wrinkles around his eyes all the more worn down and his eyes seemingly heavy. It was also apparent that he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, as she figured he was barely eating or caring for himself.

She was still very much… angry towards him and ashamed of what he had done… But seeing him now, she saw only a broken man, a shadow of his old self. A shadow of the man she had held so dearly in her heart, a man that she looked up to all her life. Now, standing before her was someone who seemed different altogether. Despite all that she had planned to say to him, all that she wanted to ask of him… she found herself almost frozen, unable to find the words she had desperately wanted to say. The silence between them became deafening, until Professor Callaghan broke that silent barrier between them.

"I understand that you are still mad at me, Abby. And I understand why…" he spoke in a solemn and apologetic tone, but painfully unable to continue. The reality of the situation, of finally being in front of her father, suddenly rushed her. It was as if Abigail felt the rush of the truth that reminded her why she had spent all of this time running away. "I… I never would have wanted any of this. I had a hard time accepting reality, that this is the world I come back to after being alone over there. I never would have wanted you to hurt others because of me…" Abigail paused, thinking briefly. "I always knew the risks of my profession, I always recognized that for every test flight I did… there was always the possibility I would not make it back…" Abigail closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing, "And if that ever came to pass, that I was truly lost to you… I always wanted you to be able to move forward, to still continue your passions to help shape the future. But you always… always let your emotions fester and consume you. It's just like with mom…" Abigail's voice shuddered, now clenching her fist.

"Abby…" Professor Callaghan looked away, he knew that with everything that has happened… he needed to allow his daughter to completely express herself. Moreover, he was so guilt-ridden that he would not even know what to say to her in the heat of this moment. "When mom died… it was as if a part of you died with her. But you never allowed yourself to truly grieve… you just kept on going as if you could continue on alone and keep it all in you. Even when I was younger, I saw it. But it was as if you could not even admit to yourself that you were in pain…"

Abigail took a pause to breathe, "You were never able to come to terms with her accident… and when I chose to follow a similar path like hers… you reacted so harshly all of a sudden. Like years of pain and anger had finally peaked, and you couldn't admit to the fear I would share her fate."

Callaghan painfully remembered the passing of his wife, Gale, and the feelings of sheer emptiness that incessantly reminded him of what he could no longer have. Like Abigail, she was an adventurous woman who was not afraid to take risks in order to explore new heights. Indeed, it was these qualities that endeared him to her when they had first met. At the time, they were both serving in the military and she was operating next-generation jet fighters as a renowned pilot. He often admired but feared her drive to explore the world and pave the way to new experiences, despite the personal risks they involved.

Gale was well-accomplished in her own right. It was by no surprise that she would try out and be selected for the International Space Agency's Astronaut Program. It was the epitome of her desires to explore the unknown and experience a life that many can only dream of. Aside from her time with him and their daughter, it was something that she was wholeheartedly passionate about.

But, Callaghan still vividly remembers the horrifying accident that took Gale away from him. He was in abject terror as he watched on a live video feed the fated catastrophic failure of his wife's space shuttle. In an instant, he had lost her to a sudden explosion shortly after its launch. It was the type of accident that the International Space Agency truly attempted to prevent, but there are always inherent risks and a marginal possibility that something would fail. But it was that small margin that he dwelled on. Despite its low probability, it still occurred and took her away. Seeing this as a cruel twist of fate, Callaghan lamented her loss in silence.

Understanding the scars that still remained between them over Gale's passing, Callaghan apologized, "Abby… I am sorry… You were never wrong in looking up to your mother, for sharing her same ideals and aspirations. When Gale.. when your mother passed away, you were all I had left in the world. I… see her in you. And because of that, I feared that I would lose you too. You are stubborn and brave, just like her. No matter how much I would want it, I hated that I couldn't hang onto you forever." Abigail looked at her father. Although she did not agree with how her father handles his grief, she did understand that losing her mother had scarred him deeply and that she was all that was left that truly mattered most to him. Abigail understood this because when her mother died, it was the same. Her father was all that she had left.

"When I thought I lost you, I… I felt so terrifyingly alone… I could not accept that I had lost you too…" Callaghan continued, still looking down at his hands. "And with that emptiness in my heart, all I would feel was anger and hatred. Anger towards myself for not trying to stop you once more… Hatred towards Alistair for his arrogant disregard for safety... for your safety… I know it does not justify everything I've done. But nothing else in the world mattered to me as much when you disappeared. I felt that I had lost my everything and that the world was always taking away from me. In my anger, I wanted those I felt at fault to feel that pain too."

Abigail could not imagine how he felt at her disappearance, but she could not fathom the pain caused by her father. "I never would have wanted you to become that person. I never would have wanted people to be hurt over me. I am so.. ashamed of what happened because it was as if you had forgotten my voice… you had forgotten what I would want even if I was gone from this world. And now, so many lives were hurt and lost. All in my name," Abigail confessed solemnly. This time, there was not a hint of anger in her voice, only the uneasy feeling of pain and guilt. She had felt that she had become the "silent sparrow," her desires and voice not heard beyond the pain of loss. She had returned back from the other side, only to find that her absence left a painful legacy in her wake.

"Abby…" the former professor paused, reflecting on those he never set out to hurt and the pain he's caused. "What happened to Tadashi… because of me… I will never be able to forgive myself for causing his death…" Callaghan's face strained in pain, closing his eyes and remembering the nightmarish image of losing Tadashi to the flames… flames that he had caused. This time, tears fell from his eyes, as he attempted to control himself. Abigail looked at her father, she knew that he was in agony over his protege. She knew what he had meant to her father. She understood that Tadashi had epitomized her father's life's work to shape the future through technology and helping others for a better world.

Mentoring young minds to continue down his path and beyond it, this was her father's passion. And Tadashi represented the hallmark of his work. And in many ways, he regarded Tadashi with the same fatherly pride that he would for Abigail. Tadashi gave Abigail a semblance of hope for her father. The hope that her father finally found something in his life that was gratifying enough to surpass all of the pain he's been through. It was for this reason that she had the utmost respect for Tadashi. But, also the reason for her pain at his loss by the very man who sought to mentor him.

"Dad, you… I…" Abigail had found herself at a loss for words now, she was not sure if she was angry towards her father or felt sympathy for him. Perhaps both. Once again, there was a period of silence between them. In her discomfort, Abigail almost considered walking out. But Callaghan looked up at his daughter, fearing that she would leave again and never see him for a long time. He took the opportunity, feeling he may never get the chance to say, "Abby, even if you decide to never see me again. I just want you to know that I love you. It might not mean much to you, but I am truly sorry for hurting them... for hurting you."

Taken aback, Abigail looked to her father, "Dad… I could never stay away from you forever. Even if I feel that I want to… I still have to come back to you eventually." With all this time that he had never heard from her, Callaghan wondered, "But why? Why did you come back to see me? Why now… or ever?" Once again, Abigail closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she attempted to collect herself. Her thoughts recalling how she felt when she saw what would have been the Second Great Catastrophe, how she felt of losing her father. "Honestly, I have been running away from everything, from you… But when I saw that incident that almost destroyed the whole city… I became so afraid that I would have lost the opportunity to try to work things out with you… Despite how I feel, you are all that I have left and… I do still love you, Dad"

More tears streamed down the weathered, wrinkled skin of her father, but was accompanied by a small smile this time. While everything in his life was painted with agony and guilt, it was a pleasant, if not brief, moment that at least reassured him that he did not completely lose everything. "I… understand why you feel that way towards me and why you left… but it… it means a lot to hear that from you after so long," he said softly. After a while, he looked back up towards his daughter, who seemed like she had more to say.

"Dad… I also came here to find out… who was the boy who risked his own life to save mine. You know him, don't you?" Callaghan's eyes widened briefly. His mind suddenly rushed by the memories of his interactions with the young boy, including the anguished face of betrayal he wore when he saw the man underneath the Kabuki mask. The boy's words echoing in his mind, "_You just let him die… He went in there to save you_!"

Once again, Callaghan opened his mouth but he found it difficult to speak. But for Abigail, he understood that this was important to her. He had to tell her, "Yes… his name is… his name is Hiro Hamada." Abigail gasped as she raised a hand towards cover over her mouth, horrified at the revelation. The implications haunted her, "Tadashi's younger brother?" Professor Callaghan could only look down with guilt but nodded to his daughter in confirmation. Abigail's mind was racing, feeling that fate has truly been cruel… that the boy who saved her, was the very same boy that her father had caused so much grief.

Remembering what she was told about her rescue, she thought about the one who was left behind on the other side. Suddenly, she realized that the "friend" who sacrificed themselves to ensure they made it back… had to be Tadashi's own creation. She cursed this twist of fate, gaining more understanding to the agonizing guilt that continues to break her father. _None of this would have happened if I didn't go… if I wasn't stranded on the other side_, she admonished herself, thinking about how it was those events that set all of this in motion. What would things be like if that catastrophic accident never occurred? If she was able to have returned before they shut down the last portal of Project Silent Sparrow?

Regaining some composure and collecting herself, Abigail could only say, "Thank you, Dad." Abigail appreciated her father's honesty and could see what all of this had done to him. Perhaps she has not forgiven him still, but at least she has come to understand more about what drove him and that he sincerely wants to apologize for his actions. "Will you… go to see him?" Callaghan asked unsteadily.

Abigail paused for a moment, gathering herself. "Yeah, I never got to thank him for rescuing me. And I want to make things right… For him. For Tadashi," Abigail admitted, conviction behind her words as she now made her way towards the exit. She could only hear him weakly mutter, "For them… I hope you can make things right." Before she reached to open the door completely, she took a moment to look back at her father. Except this time, he seemed unable to look back up at her. Abigail took a deep breath and paused. Then continued out, making her way outside of the complex.

She came here to seek the possibility of healing. However, she is constantly learning that the extent of the pain and sorrow seems to be ever larger and more complex than she initially understood. Her father played his part in this mess, perhaps she did too… But she was more determined than ever to try to make things right. Fate has woven a cruel connection between all of them. Tragedy had molded them, influenced them and their actions. It was time that things went a better direction, that they shape the future towards healing for all of them. She was determined to meet her rescuer.

Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she began to look through a secure intelligence database, one of the many benefits of having a top-secret clearance and working with various government and private agencies. Searching for files that pertained to Hiro Hamada, her eyes were immediately directed towards a hauntingly familiar icon of a "K" symbol. She smiled faintly at the ironic development, "Seems that our paths cross again, Alistair."


	4. Unbelievable

**Author's Note: Whoah! Back to back to back posting. Hope you are enjoying this series! Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 4: Unbelievable**

"Alistair Krei, you are too handsome. I absolutely envy your success. You are so much better than me," the illustrious business tycoon cooed to himself, speaking in a high-pitch tone with his best attempt to imitate a feminine voice as he admired his own reflection in a mirror. His voice echoing within his large open office suite at the top of the Krei Tech Industries headquarters building, with no one but himself at the top.

"Oh, Liv Amara, stop it. You are flattering me. I've earned all of my success, so I just enjoy the finer things in life like anyone else. You're being too kind and honest, but thank you," Alistair responded to himself in his usual, boisterous manner. Waving his hand away as if he was embarrassed but "humbly" accepting a compliment. He continued to narcissistically admire his own image, adjusting his blazer and the collars of his white dress shirt.

"Talking to yourself again?" a female voice rang out from Mr. Krei's intercom on his desk, startling the man out of his private performance. "Assistant! Were you spying on me?!" Alistair screamed with genuine embarrassment towards the voice of his personal assistant, Judy.

"You left the intercom on when you last asked me to get those presentation documents for you…" the personal assistant responded with a hint of sass, Mr. Krei knew she was probably rolling her eyes at him through the intercom.

"Yes, well….ummm… do you have something for me, assistant?" Krei muttered, obviously flustered at being caught and attempting to redirect the conversation. "Yes. There is someone who wishes to see you," she responded, now in her professional tone. "Well…" Alistair said, staring at the mirror again, contemplating continuing his "work."

"Well, I am... 'busy.' Tell them that I will have to meet them another time."

"Actually, you may want to see them. They're a former colleague of yours," she stated in a rather vague manner, piquing Krei's attention. "Well, who is it? Are you going to tell me?" Krei asked, curious but now with a little impatient annoyance.

"No, I wanted to see you sweat a little so I sent them up already, they'll be up shortly. Enjoy," Judy said snidely, he knew she was probably smiling right now. But Alistair was curious of his visitor and annoyed at the growing anticipation his assistant had provoked with her off-hand charades, waiting for his office elevator to open.

When the elevator arrived with its doors opening, Alistair was not prepared for the face that greeted him from across the room. "Abigail?" He asked, in a state of disbelief and surprise, still processing who was here to visit him. Abruptly standing up from his seat, he suddenly became frozen in place. His face changed from a shocked expression, to one of near sullen shame.

"Is that the look you give when greeting an old friend? It's good to see you too, Alistair," Abigail walked confidently towards Krei's desk, a smirk on her face as her gaze never deviated from Krei's eyes. She could read his body language, he was clearly caught off guard and showing a sense of shame that betrayed his usual, boisterous self.

Snapping himself back to his more composed self, Krei quickly moved around his desk to meet his former colleague. He reached both of his hands out to cradle one of her hands, his face both apologetic but genuinely happy to see her okay. "No, not at all. It's so good to see you, Abigail. It's just… I would never have thought that you would want anything to do with me… for obvious reasons," Krei confessed to Abigail, still in disbelief of her presence and curious what could possibly make her want to see him of all people.

The smirk on her face slightly faded, "Well, it is actually good to see you too, Alistair. I… want to be able to move forward in my life. But yes, to be honest, I am upset of how the accident transpired… but I do not know if I blame you the same way as my… father did. Perhaps, casting blame will not do anything for any of us…" Abigail's voice trailed off with melancholy, but hinted that she did not wish to bear ill will towards Mr. Krei.

"So then, what brings you back here? Surely it's not just to see my handsome face again, is it?" Alistair inquired with an attempt to lighten the mood again as he jokingly shot her a "blue steel" modeling face, complete with an exaggerated smile. But Alistair remaining curious of the situation, what she is doing back in San Fransokyo. Abigail chuckled, shaking her head at his antics.

"Well, I did want to ask you for help with a special project of mine. But perhaps, we could discuss that at a later time. However, I was actually looking for a very specific person. And he just so happens to be in your neighborhood, so to speak," she responded with a rather vague and cryptic request. Krei noted to himself that it seems no one wants to just give him the answer right away, much to his annoyance.

But he was oddly comforted by the idea that she would ask help of him. If anything, he truly felt that he owed her far more than anything that he could ever afford. And he could afford many things. But perhaps even, he owed it to his old friend, Robert, for what he had done to him as well. "Of course, Abigail. Whatever I can do to help you, I would like to offer my support whenever you are ready to discuss it with me," Alistair said in a soft, warm manner but almost with an eagerness to help his old colleague.

With curiosity, he asked, "As for that specific someone, can I help you find them?" Abigail once again smirked at him amusedly, "Yes, in fact he happens to be your new intern." With his eyes widening for a moment, Krei exclaimed, "Hiro?"

At this sudden request, Mr. Krei quickly wondered what Abigail would want from him and realized that she must've known that Hiro was… "Yes, I know who he is. Well, sort of. I mean, I know what he did for me back in that… place. I never got to properly thank him when I came back," she interrupted Alistair's train of thought to reassure him in a way that his identity would be safe with her.

Alistair understood where she was coming from, moving to his desk to press a button. "Assistant! Assistant!" he called out on the intercom. His personal assistant responded with sassy annoyance, correcting him, "It's Judy. What do you need?" Mr. Krei hinged at his hips, moving his face closer towards the intercom. "Could you tell the intern to meet me in my office?" he requested, awaiting her compliance as it seemed to take a moment. "Okay. He'll be heading up to you shortly," she suddenly responded after the momentary pause.

"Thank you, Junie," Alistair attempted to thank his personal assistant. "Judy," the assistant responded immediately with annoyance at her boss. "That's what I said, isn't it?" Krei shot an honestly oblivious look towards Abigail, who only laughed at his unintended antics and shook her head again. In a way, it was good to see that he did not change for the most part. The both of them continued to talk to each other, awaiting the arrival of the young hero.

The boy genius was working on a project within his personal lab at Krei Tech Industries. Although similar to his own lab at SFIT, it did have more capabilities as a result of Krei's vaster amount of funding for more equipment. If there was anything to be gained from being locked into a year-long contract as Mr. Krei's intern, it was the newer equipment and resources he could now access. Focusing intently on his work, he was constantly shifting from one holographic monitor to another from across the room.

Sitting on a rolling chair, he pushed himself across to slide to various areas of the room as he completed various tasks seamlessly. Similar to his SFIT lab, or even his bedroom for that matter, there was the characteristic mess of organized chaos. A physical analogy to how his own brain was organized and worked, constantly firing in a way that he would be constantly working or thinking about something to develop at various angles.

Across this lab, several holographic boards, blueprints and designs, equations and various tools were strewn all throughout his work environment. Every now and then, he would roll towards one corner of his lab to take a bite of an almond butter jelly sandwich, never remaining long enough to finish it.

He knew that there were moments when he would find himself in a state of inventor's block, so he always tried to take full advantage of the time that he was in a complete, creative flow state. Lest he may find himself ceaselessly banging his head on his desk and wasting copious amounts of paper in an attempt to brainstorm.

He was compelled to develop strategies and equipment that would be better suited to fight their foes. This was especially compounded by the fact that there is something going on behind the scenes. Hiro could not shake the feeling that there was a connection between the mutated Orso Knox and the sudden feral transformation of Momokase at the "Mystery Dinner" event. If this were the case, he and his team would need to be more capable of fighting against these mutated "monsters." He was using Mr. Krei's lab to try to look at different angles and create potential solutions. With the inclusion of his portable magnetic devices, even Hiro had to consider improving his own combat capability separate from Baymax.

Completely preoccupied in his work, he only barely saw someone come through his lab door out of his periphery. "Hey Hiro," the voice greeted him. Shaking him out of his creative zone, he was slightly startled as he unintentionally deviated from his usual seat rolling trajectory. His rolling chair was obstructed by one of the many tools on the floor, Hiro falling to the floor with a brief, startled shout. He looked up to see Krei's personal assistant, "Oh, hey Judy. What's up?" The assistant gave him an honest smile, thankful that at least someone actually remembered her name.

"I'm sorry to disturb your process. But Mr. Krei wants to see you in his office," Judy informed the boy genius, seemingly apologetically. The boy genius scowled at Mr. Krei's impeccable timing in interrupting his actual work for his "internship work," which often entailed minuscule and mundane tasks that really did not warrant his help in.

But, of course, he didn't mean to make it seem like he hated the messenger. He quickly stood up from the ground with slight embarrassment and smiled towards Judy in acknowledgement. "Ok, thanks Judy. I'll head up there now," Hiro said as he jot down some last second notes, determined not to lose his train of thought when he could return to his personal project. The personal assistant simply smiled and nodded as she left to complete other tasks.

It was these moments that he wished he had really practiced due diligence and read the fine print of his internship contract. He wanted to curse Karmi for constantly competing with him or flaunting her accomplishments at him, like her having secured an internship under Liv Amara at Sycorax complete with her own tailored lab.

But he admitted, he placed himself in this situation in his fit of jealousy. Frustrated, he entered the main elevator and sent it up to the top floor towards Mr. Krei's office. "Better not be to pick up another cow costume… What was it even for? And just why?" the boy muttered to himself in the ascending elevator. Expecting to be tasked with another mundane or demeaning task, he was surprised when the elevator opened to reveal Mr. Krei standing next to a slender, brown-haired young woman. She was smiling at him as she casually leaned against Mr. Krei's desk.

It didn't take long for him to recognize who she was. How could he not? Hiro knew that she was Abigail Callaghan. Although, the last time he had seen her was when he had rescued her from the other side of the unstable Project Silent Sparrow. Or rather, more accurately, Baymax's actions had rescued them both from the portal closing indefinitely.

Of course, this time, she was not wearing her sleek white pilot suit but rather a white-collared dress shirt tucked into fitted, professional black dress pants. Although, seeing her awake and standing before him was somewhat surreal. At that time, she was still in stasis and barely coming to as the paramedics cared for her. But to suddenly see her here, Hiro had a hard time figuring out how he felt to be in her presence. He wondered what was the best way to approach this situation. He quickly realized that only the "hero" Hiro had been the one to see her and that "normal" Hiro would not know her. Hiro attempted to look as if he had never seen her before.

"Hiro, I have someone whose been wanting to meet you," Mr. Krei waved his hand towards the young woman, and then towards him across the room. "Abigail, this is Hiro Hamada. My intern." Hiro shot Alistair a look of barely concealed annoyance, noting that Mr. Krei always took every opportunity to rub in Hiro's face that he was working for him. Despite the various moments Hiro personally saved him from his own shoddy business escapades. But he was curious, if partially worried, why would she want to specifically meet him?

"Hiro Hamada. This has been long overdue. It's a pleasure to finally meet you officially," Abigail greeted the boy with a hand outreached towards his, a warm smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, ummm, Abigail was it? Ummm. Have we met before?" the boy tried his best to say casually, while firmly meeting her hand for a formal handshake despite his rather clear nervousness.

Unfortunately for the boy genius, despite his unbridled intellect, he was a terrible liar and could not hide his panicked attempts at playing coy. Especially on account of his telltale body language, complete with his uncomfortable smile, the unsteady voice cracks or the rapid shifting of his eyes as if he was trying to literally look for the right words in the moment. This immediately amused Abigail, seeing right through the boy's guise.

"You don't have to lie to me, Hiro. I know who you are, Captain Cut-" Abigail mused, as she was promptly stopped mid-sentence with a flustered outcry that sounded like an uneasy laugh. All in attempt to save Hiro the embarrassment of hearing his "superhero name" given by Karmi's fan fiction. Of which, has apparently become so widely viewed that many truly believed that was his actual hero name. Admittedly, it is true that he and the others never bothered to identify themselves individually with pseudonyms for their alter-egos. He silently cursed Karmi, once again. What would he even call himself?

"That's not my name! I mean… I don't know what you are talking… about? I'm not a 'captain,' I'm just Krei's... intern...Yeah..." Hiro caught himself, realizing that his act was failing spectacularly. His arms flailing in front of him as if he was pleading her to believe his ruse. But how? How did she know who he was? He then shifted his gaze towards Mr. Krei, eyes squinting menacingly with accusation that he had revealed Hiro's identity to Abigail.

Alistair merely shrugged, "Don't look at me. She already knew who you were before she came to see me. So…. Not me, intern." Abigail laughed heartily, rather enjoying the experience of meeting her brave rescuer for the first time and seeing the kind of person he was. She was not certain what she had expected of him, but meeting him in person was quite the experience. However, she was thoroughly amused at the spectacle of seeing this heroic young boy flustered, a trait that she did not expect from him. How he attempted to balance his identities was a marvel, but if this is how he acts then she is surprised that he can even hide his identity at all. But still… in these recent days, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. She was glad that this first time meeting would be more lighthearted for a nice change of pace.

Thus far, he seemed genuinely like a good kid. But could she really expect anything else of him? Surely, she had the utmost respect and reverence for the young hero. How could she not? He selflessly risked himself to rescue the daughter of the very man that caused him so much grief… This was certainly not lost on her as it spoke so much of his character. Beneath his young, boyish demeanor was someone who was undoubtedly courageous and selfless enough to constantly risk himself for others. Even if they would never know him or be able to actually thank the "real" him personally. It's rarity to find anyone like this, Abigail knew that he truly was Tadashi's brother…

She leveled her hands in front of her, attempting to calm and reassure the boy genius. "Don't worry, Hiro. Your identity is safe with me, I assure you." The boy sighed, placing his hand over his forehead. Abigail placed her hand over her heart, closed her eyes for a moment and looked to Hiro with a more serious expression. "But to speak candidly... it is really an honor to finally meet you. I know you know who I am. It truly is long overdue, but I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for me back then... I literally would not be here if it was not for your actions, or your friend's… really, you have my gratitude. I never would have thought I would be back here, back in this world," her face became more serious but her voice remained seemingly genuine with deep gratitude.

Hiro, with all of the charades put to rest, was now taken aback by her words. While processing the mentioning of Tadashi's first model Baymax that was lost to the "other side," he was also relieved that the person they persevered to rescue was standing before him. When he and Baymax decided to fly into the portal, they knew full well that they were risking themselves to get her. Even at the behest of Mr. Krei, who warned that the portal was unstable and they may not even make it. Regardless of who she was, someone had to help and they were the only ones who could do it. Did he do it for Professor Callaghan? Perhaps not, but he just knew that it was the right thing to do. It's… what Tadashi would have done. Going in to rescue her… it is not a decision he regrets, it is only the loss of Tadashi's Baymax that pains him.

But it was, in a way, gratifying and validated their efforts in that surreal world. He was happy to see that she was back and that she seemed to be doing quite well. While she may be… his daughter… Hiro could not imagine what she went through, the feelings of being stranded with little to no hope of being able to return home. No means to communicate with anyone, let alone hope for a rescue if the machine was not functional. The feelings of absolute loneliness or hopelessness, that could only be assuaged by an elongated sleep-like state as she drifted in that strange place.

Initially looking downward with a hint of sadness in his expression at the thought of Tadashi's Baymax drifting out there, he looked up at the young woman and met her with a warm, reassuring smile. "I'm just glad that you are okay, Miss Callaghan," Hiro said as he reached out his hand to her, this time shaking her hand less formally but with an honest, welcoming expression. "It's nice to really meet you this time. You know, where one of us isn't sleeping or anything," the boy quipped, speaking more confidently with sarcastic playfulness. Abigail chuckled, "Hey, can you really blame a girl for sleeping? And… please, you can call me Abigail, or even Abby, I wouldn't mind."

Hiro rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly responding, "Oh, well… umm.. ok, Abigail." She smirked at his reluctance to call her by her nickname. He was not comfortable calling someone a nickname if they weren't really familiar with each other yet. Not to mention, this was still surreal that he was talking to someone he really doesn't know much about. But he could tell that she was a rather genuine person who seemed to be both heartfelt and playful.

"Oh, while we're saying what we like to be called… can you please not call me 'Captain Cutie' again? That really isn't what I call myself… then again I don't call myself anything but still!" the boy requested, figuring to correct things if they were going to say what they preferred to be called… or not called for that matter.

Once again, an amused grin surfaced on Abigail's face, as she half-jokingly said, "Sure. But no promises." Hiro pouted to himself, at his peril, he realized he should have just not mentioned it all. "How do you even know that name…?" he muttered lightly. "Yeah, I think you know where I got that from. Anyone can find that, it's on the internet. Must be true if it's on the internet. Thank you, KHeartsQT," Abigail teased the boy as she laughed playfully. _Yeah, "thank you" Karmi. Thanks a lot_, Hiro cursed his rival that seems to make his life harder even when she doesn't even explicitly intend it.

Alistair very audibly cleared his throat, gaining the two's attention, "Ahem… Well, I am so glad to see you two are getting along swimmingly. But, unfortunately, I have a meeting with a potential client. In here. So…. You know. I'll have to ask you two to leave." Brushing his hand away as if he was trying to shoo a fly, before immediately turning towards Abigail, "But Abigail… I am really glad you visited me. Please, please, please feel free to contact me on what ever you need help on. You know where to find me. If not, well… find Junie, she'll know where to find me."

Then, Mr. Krei turned towards Hiro. "And intern. Abigail is a dear colleague of mine, she deserves a warm welcoming back to San Fransokyo. Your task from your handsome boss is to keep her company and show her around what she has missed all her time away. You know, like a date. So you better be a gentleman to her!"

Hiro's face brightened flush red, his eyes widening as his eyes shifted between Mr. Krei and Abigail. "Well, fine… alright. But thanks for making it awkward, Mr. Krei," the flustered teen thanked his boss sarcastically. "You're welcome, Hiro. But in all seriousness, please support my friend Abigail on whatever she may need," Mr. Krei said, nodding towards his former colleague.

Hiro wondered how he even got into this situation. It was all so sudden and unexpected, he wondered how the guys would react to her appearance. Out of nowhere he had just suddenly met Abigail, she had apparently already known his identity somehow, and now he was taking her on a… "date?" Business escort? What do you even call something like this? Cursing Mr. Krei for making his "internship" experience a miserable one.

"You are too kind, Alistair. We'll keep in touch shortly. Well then, we'll be getting out of your hair now," Abigail returned a grateful nod to him, then facing the young genius with a sinister grin, "So, 'Captain Cutie', where are you taking me for our 'date?'"

These two just seem to be having too much fun teasing him. The boy's face became more flushed, smacking his hand against his forehead with his messy black hair engulfing his hand, he looked up while simply muttering to himself, "Unbelievable."

* * *

**Author's Note: Since this is the world of fanfiction, I would like to be explicitly clear that I am not a romantic shipper of Hiro and Abigail. No disrespect to those out there who like that pairing, but I see her as someone who is more playful, sarcastic and teasing toward Hiro based on the kind of personality I have created for her in this headcanon. Not to mention the age gap and Hiro being underage, so this shouldn't be an issue. The relationship between them will grow but not in any romantic sense, and I do have an idea where it can lead. **

**But yes! We are moving forward in the story with more character interactions. I will do my best to capture each character's personality and how they would interact with each other. **

**If you have any suggestions or things you would like to see, please by all means leave a review. If not, thank you again for the read and hope that you enjoyed it.**


	5. Flustrations

**Author's Note: My apologies for not getting this out sooner than I would've liked. Work has been picking up and other things going on that I had major writer's block. Oddly, I have been able to draft later chapters but this one was a bit hard for me to put together and bridge that gap.**

**But, as always, I hope you enjoy the read!**

**Edit: I updated this chapter to reflect more on how I want to portray their character development and the growth of Hiro and Abigail's friendly relationship. Have no intention of skewing towards something romantic despite Krei's joking in previous chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 5: Flustrations**

"So, boy genius. Where to?" Abigail asked the young boy playfully, looking to him as he seemed to be earnestly contemplating on where they should go. There was certainly no hiding this for the boy, he was still flustered and even though he did not consider this a date… their teasing certainly made it hard not to be shy about it.

_How did I even get into this situation? What should I even do? Tadashi was always the one who was better at this type of thing… _Hiro thought to himself, silently freaking out at this development. Hiro never really knew how to approach being around women, with the exception of Gogo and Honey Lemon, of course. But he got close to them only due to Tadashi and what they've been through together. It's not as if he had spent time around older girls at school, he was always four to five years younger than everyone growing up. Doesn't make for the best social upbringing.

"Hey, I might be forward at times, but I don't want to make you too uncomfortable. This isn't really a date, you're old enough to be my baby brother after all. I just find it's fun to get you flustered a bit. But I do realize that this must be odd for you, to suddenly meet me. But I do want to get to know and thank you. So, thank you for rolling with it," Abigail attempted to reassure and ease the boy.

"Yeah, this is all kind of sudden… Don't usually get thanked personally, you know? Because of the whole secret identity thing, and all. But I think I understand where you are coming from," he laughed uneasily.

She had to admit, this was an interesting situation to be in and did not anticipate that the boy would be "forced" to keep her company at Alistair's request. She did want to get to know him, but she did not want to be too intrusive either. She certainly had things she wanted to discuss with Hiro, but she wanted to do so at the right time and felt that they should keep things lighthearted for now.

"That's really a shame with everything you do for so many people. But I would like to do something to show my appreciation or return the favor. Although I doubt I'll have the chance to save you in another dimension any time soon," she said sarcastically with a smile. Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, I think it would be a good idea to stay away from any portals to weird places."

"But before I showed up, what were your plans today after your internship with Alistair? Anything fun or relaxing planned?" Abigail inquired, as they were slowly walking through the Krei Tech Industries main plaza. "Well, I was actually going to work on some projects at home," Hiro admitted, matter-of-factly.

"For school? Or are they personal projects?" Abigail questioned, looking at the boy with a peculiar look like she wanted to call him a nerd. Hiro put a finger on his cheek, thinking about all of the things he was currently working on. "Well, I guess you can say both. I don't usually have time to do anything else, between school, Mr. Krei's menial tasks and crime fighting."

Abigail suddenly frowned at the young boy, "You know, when I was a fourteen-year-old, I made every attempt to go out and enjoy life. I admit, you do have a peculiar… 'part time job' but you should really take some time off and recharge every now and then. Especially since that must take its toll on you. And with school... Well, I understand you'll have a lot going on. I remember how it was when I attended SFIT, but that's all the more reason why it's important you make time to take care of yourself and unwind."

Hiro smiled, appreciated her sentiment and the concern behind it. But he focused on what she said about school particularly with a pleasantly surprised expression, "Nice! You went to SFIT too?" Abigail placed a hand on her hip, "Yup. Some of the best years of my life were spent there. Certainly, launched me to be where I am now. But can't say it was by choice at first, kind of got shoehorned into it. You know, didn't have much of choice when you're related to the head professor."

"Oh, right..." Hiro paused, even with Abigail being around him, he did not want to think about her father. Abigail realized this, showing concern that she should be careful how she approaches bringing up her father.

Hiro snapped out of it and tried to redirect the conversation back, "But, you know how busy it can get at SFIT. So, I don't really do much else. Honestly, I really do enjoy what I work on though. Except if it's something for Professor Granville, she really has it out for me... But things get quite boring to me if I'm not building or improving something." Abigail smiled at the mentioning of a familiar name and that she could tell he truly had a passion for developing new tech.

With that, the boy thought about what he was going to work on, he remembered that he was going back home to continue performing diagnostics and maintenance on Baymax. After their recent encounter with Momokase, Baymax was mostly repaired on account of his and Professor Granville's expedient work on him. But it was all rushed at the time, there was still kinks he needed to work out. Not to mention, he also had some equipment he was working on for their growing crime fighting needs.

Abigail smiled, respecting that the boy was hard working but sighed at his reluctance to unwind. "Well... I still think you should go do something like watch a movie. But, if that's the case. We don't have to necessarily go out to town. How about I accompany you while you work on your projects? I would like to see what you're working on, if that's ok with you?"

The boy's face lit up, he was always excited to share what he's developing when he could. Aside from the team, he couldn't share some of his projects to any others for obvious "hidden identity" reasons. While he often found himself being flustered around her, he felt it would help if he was able to just do what he really enjoys doing or is most comfortable with. "You sure? I mean, I'd be more comfortable with that. I don't ever get to share my work with others except for the team. So, I would like that."

"Great! Quick question, how do you get around? I still have to get a rental car, so I've been ridesharing with Super Driver to get around," Abigail admitted, a bit embarrassed to request a ride from the boy. "Ohh… I see…" the boy became more visibly shy again, looking towards a red scooter with white linings in the distance. It was Tadashi's old scooter that Hiro has since been using. "I use that… Ummm… Would you like a ride?"

Abigail was highly amused at the boy's sudden shyness again, but this situation made it too easy to tease the boy so she tried not to fluster him too much. "Gentleman and a scholar! Thank you, Hiro. I would like that if you don't mind," she simply said. "Yeah, I don't mind," he responded nervously, his voice cracking excitedly as if trying to convince her he wasn't feeling shy.

The two now arriving at the red scooter, Hiro opened a compartment and gave Abigail a helmet. To her surprise, it was a proper fit for her, but definitely not meant for the boy. She realized that this was probably formerly Tadashi's helmet. It clued her in that the boy was determined to save every keepsake of his brother's.

Hiro sat down on the scooter and started the engine as he donned his white and green helmet, his messy black hair spilling underneath the helmet and around its straps. "Well… ummm… hop on and… try to hang on please. It'll be a short ride across town," the boy said, attempting to gain some composure.

Amused but grateful he was doing his best to roll with the situation, she was a stranger after all. So Abigail simply nodded and got on the scooter behind the boy. They rode through the streets of San Fransokyo, as Abigail allowed herself this moment to take in the nostalgia of seeing the city she had grown up in. After so much of her time being spent in a world of purple clouds and then traveling around the world for various projects, it felt comforting that she was finally in a place that was familiar again.

* * *

"How's that 'Panda-ccino' treating you?" the warm and welcoming owner of the ever-popular Lucky Cat Café asked her customer, ensuring that they enjoyed her quirkily-designed coffee with a panda smiling back at them. "I almost don't want to drink it, it's too cute!" her customer answered enthusiastically, putting an easy smile on Aunt Cass' face as she was now moving purposefully to help other customers.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed the passing of a red scooter coming from across the street. She smiled, recognizing that her nephew was returning from his internship. But as she looked up to see him roll in, she was immediately surprised to see a young woman with the boy. Ever curious, she waited as her nephew and the brown-haired young woman entered into the shop. She noticed the boy sigh and take a deep breath.

"Wait. You're telling me you live here? You live next to a café?" Abigail was in awe of the beautifully decorated and welcoming cafe, enjoying the interior that was characterized by various cat-shaped items and Japanese- themed décor along the walls and ceiling.

"Yeah, well sort of. We live upstairs. But my aunt actually owns and runs the Lucky Cat Café," Hiro responded, immediately noticing his aunt coming to greet them. He wondered how he should introduce her to Aunt Cass. "And that's her coming to us now," the boy informed Abigail, his voice hinting his nervousness.

"Hey Hiro! Who's your friend?" Aunt Cass warmly greeted her nephew, looking at their new guest. "Hey Aunt Cass, this is… umm…" the boy attempted to respond. "Hello, I'm Abigail. I'm a colleague of Hiro's at Krei Tech Industries. You must be Aunt Cass, it's a pleasure to meet you! But I have to say, I am absolutely in love with your café! It's so lively and unique!" Abigail interjected, introducing herself with a warm handshake. She was genuinely in awe of the warm atmosphere of the small shop.

Aunt Cass was visibly pleased for the compliment, warmly greeting Abigail, "Hey Abigail, it's a pleasure to meet one of Hiro's friends from his internship. Thank you! I'm not sure if you can tell but… I really, really love cats!" Abigail chuckled heartily, taking the time to look around and admire the shop. Shortly, Abigail notices a small, round Japanese bobtail cat that was affectionately snuggling next to her leg. She knelt down to slowly place her hand near the orange, black and white cat. Mochi rubbed his head along her hand, Abigail now petting him warmly.

"Glad to see cats love you too. Isn't that right, Mochi?" Aunt Cass cooed at her feline companion. She always could tell someone was a genuinely nice person if Mochi immediately approaches them without hesitation. "You're such a friendly little guy, aren't you? It's nice to meet you too, Mochi," Abigail continued to pet him, looking up to Aunt Cass with a smile.

"So, Abigail. How long have you known Hiro? I don't think he's ever mentioned about having a friend from his internship," Aunt Cass asked curiously. Hiro raised one hand with his index finger indicating he had an answer, but he found himself stammering, trying to search for a good response. "Ohh… yeah… we actually only started to work together recently. She was… ummm… away for a while in a… faraway place… I mean somewhere overseas! Yeah, overseas. That kind of 'far away,'" the boy's voice cracked as his eyes shifted everywhere trying to find the right words to explain their meeting each other.

Abigail chuckled at his attempts to explain her sudden appearance, "Yes, that's right. I have actually heard about Hiro long before we started working together recently. He has already grown quite an impressive reputation for his work. But yes, I have been away for quite a while on special projects across the country and overseas. Only until just recently, I decided to come back to my hometown. Now, I'm working with Hiro on another project based here in San Fransokyo."

Aunt Cass smiled at Abigail, "Oh, that's great! Well, welcome back to San Fransokyo. It's a pleasure to meet a colleague of Hiro's, please make yourself comfortable and stay here for a moment if you have the time. I have a wide selection of things you can try, on the house. Please, I insist!"

Panicking, Hiro waved his hands erratically between the two women. "Thanks, Aunt Cass! Actually, we were just stopping by and we're going to go work on that project in the garage," Hiro attempted to decline his aunt's offer.

He was not entirely sure if he was comfortable with Abigail and Aunt Cass interacting since his aunt would most definitely shower Abigail with excessive invitations. And there would be more moments of trying to hide certain things from Aunt Cass. Of course, if she found out anything about his secret life, she would never let him leave the house.

"Nonsense, Hiro. You're always working too hard. Got to feed that genius brain of yours. You guys should relax here for a bit, I'll whip you guys up something delicious, my treat," Aunt Cass insisted, her body ready in anticipation to get things started for her nephew and their new guest. Her wide, excited grin and eager expression almost gave a vibe that there was no other choice but to let her provide Abigail with her signature "Aunt Cass- style" hospitality.

Now Abigail looked to Hiro, a smile on her face that said that there was no use in trying to decline his aunt's offer. He sighed in resignation. She nodded towards his aunt. "Well, if you must insist, who am I to turn down an offer like that? I would love to stay for a moment and enjoy your café, Aunt Cass," Abigail agreed playfully as she gave Aunt Cass a warm smile, the latter returning the smile with excitement at getting to know her new guest.

In part, Abigail was doing it to tease the boy's apparent shyness around her and his aunt. It was like seeing a little kid be embarrassed to be with their mother while being around their classmates. Not to mention, it was rather entertaining that she could tell that his attempts to lie to Aunt Cass were so obvious. It's hard to believe that Aunt Cass would believe him at all.

But that was not only the case. She was honestly quite interested in getting to know his aunt. She could not help but enjoy her company, her kind and loving demeanor. There was a certain warmness about Aunt Cass that reminded Abigail of someone very dear to her. Someone she has long missed.

Seeing there was no way of convincing the two women, Hiro became more flustered in defeat. He was worried that Aunt Cass might make this all more uncomfortable somehow. "Ok… well, uh. I'm just going to run upstairs for a bit! Make yourself comfortable, Abigail!" Hiro exclaimed, although it was apparent, he didn't need to tell Abigail. As he was heading upstairs, he noticed Abigail and Aunt Cass seemed to be hitting it off quite naturally. Although feeling shy about this, it did make him smile to see Aunt Cass so happy to make a new acquaintance.

He rushed up to his room, quickly changing from his formal internship clothes to his more comfortable red shirt, khaki pants and his favorite blue zip-up hoodie. He was still confused on how to feel about this situation, but perhaps it would not be as awkward for him if he had extra company? He immediately looked at his laptop, his face brightening as he got his hopes up.

Hiro opened his laptop and attempted to video chat all of the gang at once. As they all arrived in the video chat, all greeting Hiro but wondering about his flustered expression. "Guys, you are not going to believe this, but Abigail just suddenly showed up to see me at Mr. Krei's office. And now… ummm… now I'm having lunch with her? Can any of you guys come along, please?"

Hiro was not even sure how to fully explain the situation or the odd sequence of events that led to her being at the Lucky Cat Café with him. They were all collectively shocked at the development, but noticed how obviously flustered the boy genius was. They haven't even heard anything about Abigail since she was rescued and being transported by paramedics. "Abigail? Like 'Abigail', Abigail?" Fred asked with genuine wonder.

"Fred, how many Abigail's do we know?" Wasabi responded. "Well I know quite a few… Well, okay… Yeah, you're right. I only know just one Abigail. But! How could I possibly forget her!? After all, she played such a key part in our 'origin story!'" Fred exclaimed.

With slight annoyance at Fred's antics, Gogo interjected, "But why did she want to see you specifically?" Hiro understood what she was alluding to, "I don't know how but she knew who I was… You know, as in the whole 'rescuing her from another dimension' thing…"

Once again, Hiro's friends were all even more shocked at the implications of this. "Ohh ohhh ohhh! This is just like the situation when Lash Looper's true identity was somehow discovered by a woman he rescued as Captain Fancy in Issue 244. He had to-" Freddy burst out with uncontrolled excitement, only to be interrupted by Wasabi. "Fred, this could be serious. But, what does she want with you, Hiro?"

"Well, she has been through a lot. Maybe she just wants to thank her rescuer personally. Right, Hiro?" Honey Lemon chimed in, concerned but notably not as alarmed as the others. At this, the others seemed to nod in agreement that this was probably the case.

"Yeah. She seems like she genuinely wants to thank me and get to know me. But even if that's the case… Mr. Krei was adamant that I keep her company and take her out or something…I'm not good at these kinds of things," Hiro admitted, his voice still pleading for his friends to help.

They didn't know what to make of her knowing Hiro's identity, but they seemed to all think that there wasn't anything to be especially alarmed of at the moment. It seems that Abigail was there to thank Hiro, as it would be understandable for her to have the desire to do so.

"Sounds like Krei set you up on a date," Gogo pointed out bluntly with a hint of teasing behind the subtle smirk. "It's not a date!" Hiro exclaimed immediately, his voice cracking with embarrassment. Gogo reassured the boy rather sharply, "Relax, you baby. Of course not, she's probably twice your age too." Hiro pouted, "Well...Can any of you please come along? I'm not particularly comfortable with getting to know strangers, especially when they're someone you rescued from a different dimension. What normal conversations can I possibly have with her? Would you be able to, Gogo?"

"Sorry, already got plans. I am sure you'll figure it all out, genius boy," Gogo responded promptly. "Really? 'Plans?' What 'plans?'" Hiro asked in disappointment but skeptical of her "plans." Gogo's eyes notably narrowed intimidatingly in her video feed, "Yes. I have plans." Hiro realized he made this mistake before and knew better than to pry into Gogo's privacy, sighing to himself as he knew he had to leave it at that. "Ok. Ok. Fine..." Lifting his hands up as if he showed he wouldn't dare push any further.

"How about you, Honey Lemon?" he asked, his hopes up that she would be able to help him. "Sorry Hiro, you know I would if I was able to. But I have to present at a gallery showing some of my art pieces at SFAI. But... It sounds like she really just wants to show her appreciation to you and get to know you. I'm sure it will be ok, Hiro!" Honey Lemon apologized but tried to reassure the young boy as her voice became increasingly upbeat and hopeful to try to reassure the boy. "Okay... I understand," he sighed, noting that this wasn't boding well.

"Wasabi?" Hiro eyes shifted to the video feed of Wasabi, who appeared to be at an SFIT lab. "Sorry, little man. Professor Granville asked me to come work on a special project and I don't want to upset her if I cancelled suddenly. She… scares me..." Wasabi responded, shuddering as he looked around to be sure that Professor Granville was not around to hear him say that. Hiro sighed more audibly, smacking his forehead, "Alright."

Hiro placed his last hopes in Fred. He understood the others had obligations of some sort, but he was hoping that his eccentric friend would be available as he often is. "Fred? You're free, right?" Fred pursed his lips, his expression showing that he was thinking if he could help. "I'm sorry, my little dude. I would but my mom is making me go with her to a stuffy party to talk to stuffy people about stuffy… stuff. My mom would never let me get out of it. But don't worry, when Lash Looper had to meet with his secret admirer for a date-"

"Okay. Okay. I get it," Hiro sighed, grudgingly accepting that he was stuck in this predicament without them. Suddenly, a cacophony of apologies and attempts to encourage the boy rang out before they left to their "plans." "Don't worry Hiro, it will go just fine." "Lash Looper was able to become friends with her-" "Stop whining, woman up." "You got this, little man! Word of advice, wear deodorant."

Almost simultaneously, they all said "Okay, bye!' and they all disconnected from the video chat. "Unbelievable," Hiro muttered to himself, sighing as he lay his head down on his desk. He was really hoping at least one of them would be able to keep him company and make him feel less uncomfortable.

Despite his confident and upbeat attitude, being the youngest in school or anywhere for that matter, never made it easy for him to learn how to socialize. It's not that he cannot get along with people or make friends, it's just that he's not used to socializing with new people on his own. Tadashi always helped him with that. In fact, that's how he even met and got close to the gang in the first place. But spending time with a female on your own, that was certainly Tadashi's domain and not his.

His head still heavily resting on his desk. He began to bang his head a few times, with no attempt at hitting it softly. Until he stopped and rubbed his forehead. "Oww…"

Suddenly, he heard the familiar startup sound coming from the red box in the room. Shortly after, a large, white marshmallow-looking robot inflated and emerged from his red charging port near the staircase entrance. Hiro raised his head to see his friend "waking up."

"/I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said, 'Oww.' Hiro, you appear to be in distress./" the robotic healthcare companion indicated with concern for the boy. Hiro looked up at his friend as he rubbed his forehead tenderly, shooting the robot a small smile as he answered sarcastically, "Physical or emotional?"

Baymax looked at his primary patient, taking a moment to scan him. "/You have a minor irritation and redness of your forehead from minor trauma. Hitting your forehead on a desk is hazardous for your health./" the robot advised with a finger lifted to make the point. A screen appeared on the robot, having a colorful cartoon image displaying a human figure banging its head and another figure indicating a red spot on its forehead.

"Sorry, buddy. I guess just a bit flustered is all," Hiro apologized for causing Baymax concern. The marshmallow-shaped robot waddled towards Hiro, placing his hand over the boy's head and patting him. "/There. There./" The boy smiled at him as he lightly brushed the robot's hand away.

"/Hiro, you appear to have elevated levels of anxiety. It is advised to try to relax and take deep breaths./" the healthcare companion recommended. "Anxiety? It's what anyone would get, right? Especially if they suddenly met the person they rescued, found out they knew their secret identity and now they have to spend the day with them while knowing so little about them. That's natural, right?"

"/Social anxiety can make it difficult for new interpersonal connections. It can help to have friends accompanying you that you are more comfortable with, to reduce anxiety symptoms./" Baymax attempted to inform the boy.

"Yup. I already tried that, buddy. But... that's what I got you for!" the boy genius smiled as he poked his friend's marshmallow belly. The boy was relieved that at least he really would not have to go about this alone, having his robot companion along with him.

The healthcare companion tilted his head, simply blinking as his optic lenses shuttered momentarily. "/All right. I will do my best to reduce situations causing social anxiety./" the robot simply responded. Hiro smiled at his companion. "Guess it's just you and me, buddy. Besides... I think she would really like to meet you too. C'mon, Baymax. Let's go downstairs."

* * *

**Author's Note: I found writing this chapter a bit hard to be honest. But I would like to reiterate that I do not intend to romantically ship Hiro and Abigail, the dynamic between them will grow but not in that way. Please hang tight, that's not a direction I am exploring in this series. Simply that her character is playful and teasing at her amusement and she is continuing off of Mr. Krei's offhand joke that flustered Hiro. And Gogo and even Wasabi have been known to tease Hiro in that same regard on occasion. **

**Some folks would ship them as they would Hiro and Gogo, and no disrespect to them, but I see more of an older sister dynamic growing for the slightly older women in Hiro's life. And Hiro can be cocky and confident, but I imagine in the social domain outside of Tadashi and BH6 crew, is still rather underdeveloped and makes him easily flustered. Hence, why Baymax keys into it as social anxiety than anything else.**


	6. Connections Beneath the Surface

**Author's Notes: Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the feedback and it helps me to adjust the finer points of this series. This one is another long one, but I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 6: Connections Beneath the Surface**

Hiro walked down the stairs of his Victorian-style home above the Japanese-inspired café, Baymax slowly waddling behind him from his bedroom at the top floor. As he walked down and towards the area that transitioned into the café, he immediately saw Abigail with an incredulous and shy look as she raised her hands in disbelief. Aunt Cass was fervently moving back and forth from the kitchen to Abigail's table. The amount of food and snacks was becoming staggeringly overwhelming for the young woman who maintained a smile to appease Aunt Cass.

Abigail looked to Hiro, with eyes that pleaded for help. Hiro smirked at her, oddly satisfied to see the tables turn and see her flustered for a change by Aunt Cass' famous hospitality. Abigail noticed this and narrowed her eyes at the boy, almost saying that he had better not tell her he was right. "Good, Hiro! You're here. Ummm… I think I'm going to need your help finishing this…" Abigail admitted, looking back to Aunt Cass who was at the cash register tending to a customer. Aunt Cass quickly shot Abigail a wide, exaggerated grin with her hand outstretched towards Abigail, thumbs up triumphantly and proud of her work.

Abigail smiled back and forcibly returned a thumbs up at her. "Looks like you got what you asked for," Hiro commented snidely, smirking at Abigail's disbelief at Aunt Cass' boundless enthusiasm and borderline insane hospitality. She gave him a look of playful annoyance, "Yeah, got a little more than I bargained for. More like, got a whole lot more." Hiro chuckled, now looking down at the table to see that Aunt Cass really outdid herself.

The table was assorted with a colorful variety of Japanese fusion-inspired recipes. Hiro got excited since he had not seen these before, noting that Aunt Cass always experimented and tried out new recipes. It was certainly why so many people around San Fransokyo would flock to the Lucky Cat Café. "Hiro, sit, sit! I think you are going to love these!" Aunt Cass snuck up behind Hiro, briefly startling him and sitting him into a seat. Abigail chuckled, whispering to him, "You're in this, too."

Aunt Cass was absolutely excited to introduce her new recipes, first pointing towards a plate with several fried rice balls. "These are my 'Piggy Pork Belly Onigiri,' with slivers of pork belly neatly tucked away in a rice ball and fried to perfection. A wonderful on-the-go snack I'll make for your school days, Hiro."

She moved onto towards a seaweed-wrapped rice 'sandwich' that had an orange sauce covering chicken in it. "I hope you love a bit of spiciness, Abigail. This is my 'S.M.C. Onigirazu' which stands for Sriracha Mayo and Chicken," she squealed suddenly grabbed Abigail's shoulders in her excitement. Abigail chuckled timidly and nodded her head vehemently. "For Abigail, a cup of my world famous 'Maneki- Neko cat'uccino,'" she pointed towards a coffee cup with a decorative and detailed "Maneki-Neko" cat formed by the top layer of cream. "For you, Hiro. A healthy strawberry kiwi smoothie," she nudged a red and green smoothie towards her nephew enthusiastically.

"And last but not least, dessert! My 'macaron rainbow deluxe!'" Aunt Cass paused to take a breath, preparing to explain each flavor with rapid-fire intensity. "This is salted caramel, vanilla lavender, custard, cinnamon, milk tea, strawberry milk and mocha. Let me know if you love them, I also have macaron ice cream sandwhiches," Abigail and Hiro's eyes were collectively wide as they smiled forcibly at Aunt Cass' energy, as she identified each colored flavor by heart.

"/You should breathe now, Aunt Cass,/" a robotic voice chimed in, catching their attention as the white marshmallow robot waddled from the entrance of the house into the cafe. Baymax looked at the doorway, turning sideways to shuffle past the opening, and turned forward so he could waddle over towards Hiro, Abigail and Aunt Cass. Abigail looked at the huggable robot, smiling warmly at the pleasant surprise. "Hey Baymax! Had a good nap?" Aunt Cass greeted him, referring to his charging in Hiro's room.

"/Yes. My battery charge is at full capacity./" Baymax responded. The healthcare robot looked towards Abigail, he head tilted and his 'eyes' blinked audibly. He stepped forward, waving his hand in a circular manner as a greeting gesture, "/Hello, I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion./" Abigail stood up and walked towards the robot to greet it warmly, reaching her hand forward to shake his hand "Hello, Baymax. It's good to see you, again."

"It is good to see you are doing well and you are in good health, Ms. Abigail," the robot responded, looking at Abigail's hand in a puzzling manner but reaching his hand forward to mirror her. Abigail chuckled and warmly shook the hand of her second rescuer. "Oh, you too have met before?" Aunt Cass asked, happy to see them interact.

"Oh, yeah! Ummm… A while back, actually!" Hiro stammered, trying to hide the fact that Baymax met her during her rescue. Aunt Cass briefly wondered how that worked, but dismissed it. "Well, I'm glad you guys got to see each other again. But please, sit, sit, sit and enjoy! Let me know if you want anything else, I have more things I can bring out for you if you'd like to try," Aunt Cass exclaimed, quickly startling Abigail as she grabbed her shoulders and guided Abigail back to her seat.

"Oh, thank you, Aunt Cass. I think you gave us plenty to work on for now though," Abigail laughed nervously, looking down at the assortment of goodies strewn throughout their table. "Well… ladies first," Hiro teased, his hand gesturing towards the food in a mockingly "gentleman- like" manner. "Hey, you're helping me with this. Just you and me, Baymax can't help here," Abigail joked, lightly punching Hiro playfully in the arm. Hiro laughed, wondering to himself, _What is it with girls and punching me in the arm?_

"/My apologies. I am a robot,/" the healthcare companion pointed out, acknowledging his obvious lack of the need to eat. But he waddled towards one of the seats between Abigail and Hiro, awkwardly shifting it around to get it just right so that he could sit on it. Hiro smiled at his companion as Abigail was thoroughly amused at the unintentionally comical spectacle.

They began to get to work on everything Aunt Cass laid out for them, sampling each and responding favorably to each one that they tried. Abigail smiled happily, realizing that each recipe was carefully crafted with creative thought and passion. For Hiro, he was actually relieved that there was so much food to keep them pre-occupied for a while. Aunt Cass' food was certainly meant to be enjoyed but it also allowed him to not need to awkwardly try to make conversation with Abigail.

But, even though there was a lot of food, they could not bring themselves to finish it all and were beginning to slow down considerably. Hiro began to feel more anxious and self-conscious, not quite sure what to talk to Abigail about. He certainly had a lot of questions, like why is she back in San Fransokyo after all this time and how she happened to know his identity. But he did not know how to approach those questions and in this setting, with Aunt Cass hovering around, he could not even think to ask.

Baymax, who was monitoring Hiro, picked up on his elevated anxiety levels. The robot lifted his hand to make a point, "/Good conversational starters for new social interactions include: where you are from, hobbies, interests, work-/" Various images flashed on his front side, showing geographical maps, several sports or musical notes, an office desk, among many others to illustrate his point. Hiro let out an uneasy laugh, appreciating the healthcare companion's attempt to help. But perhaps, due to his obvious nature and lack of subtlety, Hiro realized that having Baymax around to ease the situation might have backfired. "Thanks, Baymax," Hiro laughed, embarrassedly with sarcastic gratitude. "/You are welcome, Hiro,/" the robot responded, oblivious to causing Hiro more embarrassment. Abigail smiled at her two rescuers, chuckling at their wholesome interactions. She was happy to get to see Baymax with Hiro.

"So… Abigail. Ummm… what do you like to do?" Hiro awkwardly tried to salvage the situation, although somewhat taking a cue from Baymax. Abigail smiled, playing along with him. "I actually love to travel to different parts of the world or around the country. I like to explore other cities, cultures and environments. Something I got from my mom, I guess. Have you been outside the country yet?" she inquired curiously. "Oh, me? No, no. no. I've never even been outside of San Fransokyo! Well, maybe Muirahara woods but I'm… let's just say I'm not particularly a fan of the outdoors," the young boy admitted, remembering his experiences being trapped out there with Fred as they followed Gogo there. The thought of the bugs and being swept away by the river made him shudder.

"Really? That's actually a shame. But I get it, when I was little, San Fransokyo was my home and it was all I really knew. But when I got old enough, my mother took me on some of her travels. There is so much more to see in the world, as diverse as San Fransokyo is… it's still it's own bubble and its liberating to see what else is out there. I love the outdoors, but I admit it's not the only thing you can explore. Seeing other countries, seeing their culture and celebrating their differences and appreciating your similarities… I really hope you do get to travel sometime. And I get it, SFIT will challenge you to explore your talents. But seeing the world may open your mind even more, I'm curious what it would do for your already big brain," Abigail spoke very passionately, recounting what traveling meant to her.

She earnestly wanted Hiro to experience that same feeling, to which Hiro had actually never considered since San Fransokyo was all he really knew in terms of his environment and culture-wise. He had to admit, what she said was enticing and convincing enough for him to perhaps consider it in the future. Perhaps go travel with the gang, a vacation trip might be exactly what they needed away from their stresses at school and constantly keeping the city safe. He appreciated her advice as he nodded to her in agreeance.

"You told Aunt Cass that you worked on special projects overseas, is that true?" Hiro inquired, recalling that she did say she was traveling a lot. Abigail briefly looked around to see who could listen, especially for Aunt Cass. "Yes, although not for Krei Tech Industries. I've been with other government agencies and private military technology contractors, doing some consulting work and test piloting special projects," she informed Hiro on her recent work.

"My last project was perhaps my favorite. I test piloted for Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries' Project APOLLO. I honestly would love to tell you what it entailed but only a few folks are supposed to be privy to it," she admitted, piquing the boy's interest having heard of the company before.

"Really? Well, I could keep a secret," The boy tried to goad her to talk more about it. Abigail's eyes narrowed at him, snidely commenting, "You think you're good at keeping secrets?" Hiro raised his hands in feigned indignation, then casually saying with cocky confidence, "Got me there, but I don't need clearance to access what I want."

Abigail raised her eyebrows, amused at his confidence in hacking through private and military systems. Thing is, she believed him, since he was a boy of many hidden talents. Not to mention she didn't care too much for the rigid culture of military and government infrastructures. "Well, if you put it that way..." she conceded, the boy's face lit up.

"Let's just say that this was a particular prototype aircraft that sought to integrate a smart A.I. with a highly-skilled pilot, such as yours truly," she smirked, hardly hiding her own confidence in her skills. She looked towards Baymax, "Don't get me wrong, artificial intelligence has come a long way. But even the military is over-reliant on automating everything, and sometimes you just can't beat old-fashion human ingenuity and skill."

"But there are things that A.I.'s can do extremely well. So you could say, it was to get the best of both worlds. A partnership between human and machine. To push the envelope of flight and combat performance," she looked to Hiro and his healthcare companion, knowing he could relate.

The boy smiled, not only interested to see Abigail speak about something she is passionate about. But also to see that they shared a common interest, not just in flying but also the partnership developed between them and technology. He nodded, looking towards Baymax and understanding the bond they've grown to share.

"That's really impressive work. I know what you mean. You've been a pilot for awhile, then? Have you always wanted to fly?" the boy asked, relieved that they shared similar interests. "Yes, I started piloting on top of my schoolwork at SFIT. It was a challenge doing both, but I've always wanted to fly. There's just nothing else like it, that feeling of absolute freedom."

"Seems that's something Baymax and I share with you. When I first flew with Baymax, immediately I knew... that I was never going to take the bus again," The boy joked, remembering his first flight with Baymax's 2.0 armor upgrade.

They both got startled when Aunt Cass chimed in, thankfully only hearing the tail end of their conversation. "What's wrong with taking the bus, Hiro?" The boy laughed uneasily, trying to explain, "Well, you know. They're dirty and cramped up, and now I can drive a scooter. Yeah... that's why I don't take the bus anymore."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Aunt Cass agreed, matter-of-factly. Hiro stifled his sigh of relief.

"Smooth…" Abigail whispered. "Oh, Abigail. I'm glad you seem to like spicy. I was hoping you'd be able to join us for dinner tonight, I'm trying a new recipe along with my famous hot wings. I would love it if you would stay for dinner," Aunt Cass pleaded excitedly, biting her lip in anticipation of Abigail's response. Abigail became a bit flustered, realizing this would probably a ten-course meal of some sort. But she knew that she could not refuse, Aunt Cass' welcoming spirit was entrancing. Hiro and Baymax both looked at Abigail, Hiro's smug expression saying, "Look what you got yourself into."

"Y-Yes, I would love to join you guys tonight, thanks Aunt Cass!" Abigail replied, causing Aunt Cass to get more excited. "Great! A little word of warning, this will be spicy to the next level! The kind that will 'melt your face off!'" Aunt Cass warned, obviously looking forward to having their guest over tonight. "I look forward to it!" Abigail exclaimed, attempting to match Aunt Cass' level of excitement.

Abigail looked to Hiro, who was both flustered but smug at the situation she got into. There was no escaping the warmth of Aunt Cass. "Well, I think we should get back to work, right Hiro? Thank you for the delicious lunch… assortment!" Amused that she took a cue from him, Hiro played along, "Yeah, let's get back to work! Thanks, love you Aunt Cass. See you later!" The two rushed out of the café while dragging Baymax, waving goodbye to Aunt Cass. "Okay, see you guys tonight! Keep up the great work! Don't work too hard!" she yelled to them as they went outside to get to Hiro's garage.

"Well, you can't say I tried to save you from that. My aunt can be… very welcoming, to say the least," Hiro laughed as they got to Hiro's garage door. "Yeah, no kidding. So much energy! But she is really fun to be around," Abigail admitted, still very pleased to meet his aunt. "Well, you got to tell me a bit about your work. How about I show you some of mine?" Hiro said as he lifted the garage door up, revealing their garage that was cluttered with an array of various inventions, tools and machines as its own lab setup. Abigail walked in, taking in the whole scene. Baymax waddled in behind them. When Hiro closed the garage door, she admired the traditional Japanese artwork painted on it.

"I have something I would like you to see. I've been designing it for one of my team members," Hiro caught her attention, as he moved to a desk and revealed a secret compartment. He covered his hand to block it while he input a passcode, opening the compartment and reaching into it. He seemed to grab an object, but when he lifted it out of the compartment, it appeared that he was carrying nothing.

Abigail's eyebrow furled, curious if he was trying to mess with her. It looked like he was miming and manipulating an imaginary object. "Ummm…. It's very… light? Hate to break it to you, but air doesn't need to be reinvented," she joked, not sure what to make of the young boy's 'invention.' Hiro smirked at her, lifting the invisible object and motioning it as if he was putting on a helmet.

Suddenly, Hiro's head seemed to disappear, and his arms flailed around as if he lost his head. Abigail's eyes widened, confused and concerned, she reached out to grab Hiro's seemingly invisible head. "Wait, what did you just-" she exclaimed, feeling her hands grasp what felt like a large helmet. Suddenly, the object came into view, revealing what looked like a blue chameleon's face. It was rather large, but it was comical to see it on the young boy who made it look like a bobblehead. Abigail chuckled at the sight but was genuinely impressed.

"Pretty sick, huh?" Hiro beamed, as he took off the chameleon helmet. "While Krei Tech does have its 'flexible display technology' fabric that can make objects nearly invisible, I have opted to create a more robust and versatile optic camouflage system that's integrated into a suit." Abigail placed her hand on her hip, smiling at the boy, "That's some impressive tech, I could see how this could be useful for surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Criminals wouldn't even see you coming."

"Exactly! Of course, I'm not trying to hide just heads!" the boy exclaimed, happily hopping on his rolling seat and swinging himself towards a computer monitor. He pulled up a holographic display, the image of a full chameleon suit and the schematics of his optic camouflage system appeared. "I'm still adding more features as I put it together for my team member. I know he's going to have a blast when it's done," the boy looked proudly at his work in progress. "I'm impressed, kid. What else are you working on?" Abigail inquired, happy to see more of his personal projects.

"Glad you asked! Now, usually in a fight I have to rely on working with Baymax. But… things have been pretty hairy out there and I have to hold my own. So, I've been developing and refining these," Hiro said, reaching into the compartment to pull out a small black disk. Handing it to Abigail, who moved it around to see its features. Hiro then pulled out a purple gauntlet, Abigail recognized it as a part of his armor, "It's a portable magnetic device, I've already used it with success in the field. But I am modifying them so I can easily adjust their intensity on the fly and increase the distance I can eject them out to. Not to mention, make it more adhesive so I can place them in any angle," the young genius donned his purple gauntlet. "Can I see it at work?" Abigail asked, ready to see the device in action.

"Of course!" the boy smirked, aiming his fist up towards the middle ceiling of the garage. The gauntlet launched one of the disk devices, attaching itself to the ceiling with precision. "I would like to show you it's full strength, but I don't want to clean up the mess it would make. But, let's give it a little juice." Baymax looked up at the disk, blinking at it, "/Hiro, I don't think juice would be advised for your device./" Abigail and Hiro chuckled, "Just an expression, buddy. Here we go!"

Hiro placed his other hand along the gauntlet, manipulating a small control interface and adjusting the strength of the now activated magnetic device. Metallic objects throughout the garage began to be attracted towards the middle of the garage. "Let's just try a little more," he said, adjusting it further. Suddenly, Baymax flew up towards the ceiling and stuck to the device, looking down at Hiro and Abigail. "/Oh./" the robot simply said, blinking as he visibly wondered how to get back down. The boy tried to ease his robot companion down, attempting to lower the magnetic strength slowly. But Baymax fell to the floor, bouncing up to land on his bottom. "Sorry, buddy," Hiro winced, a bit embarrassed at demonstrating his device on Baymax. But Abigail simply laughed.

The young genius continued to show his projects to Abigail, his enthusiasm was contagious. She enjoyed watching the boy so excited of his work, from his own personal crime-fighting projects including a prototype upgrade for Honey Lemon's chem-purse that had a more precise trajectory system. They even discussed some of his school projects. She would complement his ingenuity, even discussing how she approached certain projects at SFIT when she attended. In the privacy of his garage, she was able to also share a video feed of one of her test flights. The two were sharing their pride and passion for their work, but it had also become apparent to Abigail that the young boy was becoming notably more comfortable in his interactions with her. Similarly, Hiro was relieved to feel less anxiety in realizing that they shared common interests and shared their work together.

Before long, time would pass, and it was dinner time. Hiro, Abigail and Baymax worked their way up the stairs of the Victorian house to find Aunt Cass hard at work preparing their dinner meals. "Hiro! Abigail! Right on time!" Aunt Cass welcomed them, her hands guiding them towards their seats at the dining table. They smiled at each other, ready for a massive dinner. "I hope you're ready for the heat!" she exclaimed, coming in with a plate full of her famous "melt your face off" chicken wings. "And! You guys will have the honor of trying my new recipe, my Mentaiko Carbonara pasta!" The two looked in awe, seeing an Italian-Japanese fusion dish, with stacks of pasta covered in native Japanese spices and a buttery sauce. They smiled as they thanked Aunt Cass for the home-cooked dinner. Abigail felt a sense of welcome belonging, the love shared among family. It was something she had long missed, and was grateful to share the moment with Aunt Cass and her two rescuers.

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**Author's Note: This was a long and fun chapter to write, I tried to keep it more lighthearted and increase their interactions. Although it honestly felt like it could keep going on and I would like to move it forward towards chapters I am excited to bring out. I did not want to keep it running too long, so my apologies if the end felt rushed and less descriptive. But I do like the friendship that is growing between Abigail and Hiro, and hope that you enjoy it as well. Stay tuned!**

**PS. Aunt Cass' recipes, while some stylized with Aunt Cass-style names, are inspired by actual Japanese fusion recipes or entrees offered at actual restaurants. I honestly want to try them or make them myself. Look them up when you get a chance. Or even better, try them out!**


	7. A Good Man, A Good Kid

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 and Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 7: A Good Man, A Good Kid**

Overall, the dinner was a pleasant experience for them within the Hamada household. Aunt Cass took their dishes and washed them in the kitchen sink. She immediately refused any attempts by Abigail or Hiro to help her clean up. Suddenly, Baymax seemed to become disoriented and swayed back and forth. Noting that Baymax was nearing his low battery state, Hiro remembered that he had to make some adjustments to get Baymax running optimally. Among the kinks from the hasty repairs they made after their fight with Momokase was that his battery life was erratically shortened. His systems and programs seemed to be running inefficiently and expediting his battery drain. "Looks like it's time to get you to bed, buddy," the boy walked over, moving under Baymax's arm to support the comically disoriented robot.

"/Great idea! This time, I'll use your bed… and- you can stay on my charger tonight./" the healthcare companion fumbled, Hiro trying his best to keep him up on his shoulders to guide him.

Abigail laughed heartily, completely amused at seeing the robot act uncharacteristically expressive and disoriented. Of course, the boy was perhaps too young to experience alcohol or to be around anyone drunk, but Baymax seemed to be able to give him the classic college experience of helping a disoriented friend get to bed. "You need any help getting him up there?" she offered, seeing the young boy struggle to guide the battery-drained robot. "No, no… I got him, he's like this every now and then," Hiro laughed uneasily, trying to stop his healthcare companion from toppling over.

Baymax looked towards Abigail, "Hey-Hello, I am Baymax… your personal companion- of health… for care… On a scale from ten to one… how would rate your- chicken wings./"

Abigail chuckled, "That's going to have to be a ten." Baymax suddenly perked up, raising his hand up, "/You are correct!...Your prize is… Sorry, I ran out of lollipops./" The disoriented robot patted himself as if he was looking for the lollipop, his hands searching and ending up patting Hiro's face to his annoyance. "Ok, buddy. Let's keep it together. Time for you to go sleep now."

"/Okay, if you say so, Hiro… but I'm not even in bed yet./" the robot stammered, before he suddenly went completely deadweight and began to "snore." The young boy yelped at his sudden change in weight as the robot no longer supported himself. "No, not yet, Baymax!" He dragged the robot along, shortly looking back towards Abigail and Aunt Cass. Abigail was ready to help, but Hiro seemed adamant that he could take care of his friend himself. "Thanks for the… food, Aunt Cass! I'll… be back down Abigail, just going to charge Baymax and fix his… uhhh… issues," Hiro exclaimed as he attempted to catch his breath, dragging the tired Baymax with him.

Abigail laughed at the spectacle, another amusing characteristic she never expected of her rescuers. As the boy left to drag his robot companion upstairs, Abigail eyes trailed across the Hamada residence. Several pictures of their family were strewn throughout the walls. She quickly noticed a family photograph on the wall and quickly found her gaze locked on it. It was a picture of Aunt Cass with two younger-looking Hamada brothers. It was a heartwarming photograph, seeing them as a whole family. She looked at the photograph of young Tadashi. Suddenly, she experienced growing feelings of pain, sadness and guilt welled within her. She knew this would be a hard aspect of being around Hiro and Aunt Cass, in the home they all had once lived in together with Tadashi. She walked over, her hand hovering over the photograph.

"He always believed in Hiro, looked out for him. He would be so proud to see all that his brother has accomplished," Aunt Cass chimed in suddenly to Abigail's surprise, walking back in the dining area after cleaning the dishes. "Aunt Cass… I'm truly sorry for your loss," Abigail found it hard to find the right words, there was so much she wanted to apologize for but couldn't. Aunt Cass doesn't even know that she is the daughter of the man who inadvertently caused Tadashi's death, the very same man that wanted to mentor him.

"Thank you. It still… hurts. And I miss him, Hiro misses him. But I always want to be strong for Hiro. We've… he's been through a lot throughout his whole life. He was only three when their father and mother… my sister… passed away in a tragic accident. And now Tadashi is with them. He's all I have left," Aunt Cass confessed somberly, her tone distinctly softer and melancholic than her usual upbeat demeanor. As she spoke, Abigail noticed that Aunt Cass was fidgeting with her silver-turquoise necklace, a keepsake of her late sister and the boys' mother. It was something she would never be without.

"But Tadashi would be so proud of him. He always wanted Hiro to go to his school. And now Tadashi's friends are close to him. And Baymax… it's like Tadashi continues to watch over him, even now. I'm just happy to see my nephew continuing with his life like Tadashi would have wanted," Aunt Cass spoke warmly, almost trying to reassure Abigail that things would be okay.

But she recalled the deep depression Hiro fell into shortly after Tadashi's passing, even when she had a difficult time coping she tried to be upbeat and strong for Hiro. Especially when he had lost all interest in anything, let alone being able to take care of himself. Baymax changed all of that for the better.

"He was a kind and bright young man, I could tell that he wanted to change the world and help people with his inventions, it's certainly why he never gave up working on Baymax," Abigail chimed in, Aunt Cass looked to her in surprise as she realized she was referring to Tadashi. "Did you know him, personally?" Aunt Cass wondered, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, I met him a several times when he was just starting to attend SFIT. I was visiting… an old professor of mine. My professor introduced me to him, he spoke highly of Tadashi and what he was already accomplishing. He was a good young man, it was easy to get along with him. Although, I wish I had seen him more often," Abigail explained, being wary of mentioning her father.

But Aunt Cass was pleasantly surprised at this and touched to hear about her late nephew, "Ever since he was a young boy, he was always very kindhearted and wanted to help people. Helping raise Hiro and looking after him, it really nurtured a caring and protective side of him. I am glad that you got to know him personally, he had a way of touching people's lives whether he knew it or not." The two women smiled warmly to each other in their candid moment. Suddenly, Abigail looked at their clock, "Well, unfortunately it is getting late and I should get going. But, truly, thank you for all of your hospitality, Aunt Cass. For both lunch and dinner, I hope you'll allow me to return the favor one day."

"It was my pleasure, Abigail. Any friend of Hiro's and Tadashi's is welcome in this home. But, where will you be staying while you are back in San Fransokyo? Do you still have a place here?" Aunt Cass inquired. "Not anymore, not for quite awhile actually. I was going to get a hotel-" Abigail responded but quickly cut off by the sudden excited expression of Aunt Cass. "Nonsense, you can stay here! You'd have to get a ride and then check in, that's too much of a hassle. I mean it, you are welcome in this home. If you are okay with sleeping on a couch of course, but please, I insist!" Aunt Cass offered with her usual enthusiasm and the implication that Abigail had no choice but to accept the offer.

Abigail was taken aback by the sudden offer, but just like the café brunch and home dinner, there was no way she could decline Aunt Cass' welcoming invitations. "Well, I don't think you would accept any other answer but 'yes.' If you must insist, I would love to stay over if that's okay with Hiro too?" Abigail conceded, but wanted to make sure she was not overstepping or being intrusive.

"Well, it's my house so if he isn't, then that's a bummer for him. You are my honored guest," Aunt Cass mused with certainty that Abigail was welcome to stay. "Thank you, Aunt Cass. I really appreciate everything you have done for me. I'll still run it by him though," Abigail admitted shyly with a laugh. "Well, suit yourself. But you're staying here regardless. Ask him for some blankets too while you're at it, he has no say in this. I understand you don't have everything so I'll leave you some of my clothes you can borrow," Aunt Cass quipped playfully as she walked towards her bedroom door.

Mochi quietly walked towards Abigail and cuddled along her leg. "I mean it, a friend of Hiro's and Tadashi's is welcome here. And it looks like Mochi voted you stay, so it doesn't matter what my nephew chooses, that's two against one… And Abigail, it really is a pleasure to have you over. Please, make yourself feel at home. Goodnight." Abigail petted Mochi, "Thank you for having me, Aunt Cass. Really. Have a goodnight too." Aunt Cass smiled and nodded at Abigail, then closed her door to turn in for the night. Abigail noted again that she truly did have the same sweet warmth and boundless energy as Abigail's mother. Abigail longed to make it up to her, not just for her hospitality but also for Tadashi.

Abigail slowly walked up the staircase with Mochi following her closely. Before she would be in view of Hiro's room, she knocked on the wall as a courtesy. "Hey, Hiro. Is it okay if I come up?" she announced, awaiting his response. "Oh, Abigail. Yeah… uhhh… you could come in.." the boy responded, a bit embarrassed that he could not clean up his room before.

"Sorry, got caught up working on this. Was just finishing up some last fixes on Baymax. And… umm… sorry for the mess," Hiro stammered, Abigail noticing his embarrassment at his room. "That's ok, I wasn't exactly the neatest fourteen-year-old either," Abigail chuckled as she looked around the boy genius' room. The tiffany blue walls were strewn with various posters of cartoon robots and science symposium flyers. The cupboards displaying a variety of books and robot figures, underneath it was a desk covered with blueprints, tools and schematics around Hiro's desktop computer. "You're such a boy, though," she commented, amused at his choice of decorations and the obvious organized chaos the young genius thrives in.

"Yeah…" Hiro laughed uneasily, looking away from Abigail to finish his work on a computer tablet and hide his embarrassment. Abigail laughed lightly, her gaze continuing to scan the room until she noted one side of it being demarcated by a Japanese-style shoji panel screen divider. This side was notably more organized, strewn with various textbooks and a neatly made bed. Abigail quickly realized this was Tadashi's side of the room, untouched and well-kept, just as he had left it. Her expression softened as she looked towards Hiro.

By now, the boy genius was finishing up his adjustments. From a nearby device's port on his desk, she noticed a green chip slowly eject for Hiro to grab. The green chip had a distinct robotic nurse icon and legibly shown on it, the handwritten label "Tadashi Hamada." Hiro took the chip and walked towards the charging Baymax who was "asleep." He pressed the access port for it to open, placing the chip in and closing the port. "And that, should do it," he said, pleased with his companion being fixed completely from his ordeal against Momokase.

He was smiling at his sleeping companion, when he heard Abigail suddenly chime in, "Tadashi never gave up on Baymax. He worked tirelessly on programming all of those medical procedures and coding Baymax to be fully functional. It's great to see his work come together." Hiro's eyes widened, turning his head with surprise, looking at Abigail as she leaned casually to rest on his desk. "You knew… my brother?" he asked, somewhat incredulously but shocked at the revelation.

"I met him several times whenever I went to visit… my father… at the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. He introduced me to Tadashi, I met him while he was doing his test trials to get Baymax working. It was incredible, he was so passionate and continued despite failure after failure. But he never seemed to lose hope, even if the tests would go wrong," Abigail looked down, her expression both soft yet appearing like she was trying to remember a far-off memory. She chuckled as she looked up to smile at the sleeping Baymax, "Sometimes I was lucky enough to visit and see him conducting one of his tests. Which was it? Maybe like test #62 or #63? Around there. Baymax's hug function was on overdrive, Tadashi had to fight to escape from him and shut down the test. It was funny seeing him try to slip out of his hug, he kept yelling for help so I tried to pull him out for a while. You wouldn't believe how strong Baymax was."

Hiro laughed heartily, imagining the scene in his mind with a smile. The thought of his brother having to try to escape from Baymax's hug was comical and yet heartwarming. He knew full well how strongly Baymax could keep you in his hug, one time he overclocked the robot and Baymax was too amped up to let the boy go. But he admitted, he hasn't brought himself to watch all of Tadashi's test trials. He saved them for the occasions he especially missed his older brother, as a way to comfort him with his presence. "So, you were friends with my brother?" he asked, wanting to know more about her relationship with Tadashi.

"Yes, you could say that. Although we only saw each other on the occasion that I was back in the city. Looking back, I wish I had came back more often. Your brother… he was such an easygoing young man, we got along really well right away. I respected him. Although, I wish I had gotten to spend more time to get to know him even better," Abigail admitted, looking back at those days. "I never got to see his final test, but I am truly lucky to meet his creation in its completion. He had a dream to help people, and through you and Baymax, his dream continues to be realized." Hiro smiled, he was genuinely touched by her words and her sentiment behind Tadashi and Baymax.

"But I understand, this Baymax is not quite the same one he created… Although, programming-wise he is, of course. Between his memories, protocols and personality, he is still Tadashi's Baymax in a way but…" she stated softly, but Hiro continued her thought. "That Baymax rests in that strange place we escaped, thanks to him…" Hiro said as he walked up to the sleeping Baymax, placing his hand on him.

"The Baymax that Tadashi built himself, that one is no longer with us. But Baymax is still here… Tadashi is still here," Hiro spoke softly, reassuring himself that their presence never truly left. "I am sorry… that he did not make it back because of me… and that my being stranded in that dimension, caused all of these things to happen. My father, in his grief… hurting you…Tadashi…" Abigail stammered, her voice unsteady as emotions were making it difficult to find the right words she wished she could express to Hiro. Seeing the photographs of Tadashi, seeing his empty side of his room and meeting his creation, Baymax… it all suddenly flooded her with the emotions she wanted to keep in check around Hiro. She cursed at herself, knowing that this isn't how she intended to approach Hiro about the subject.

Hiro was speechless, his eyes were closed as he tried to hold back the pain he was ignoring ever since Abigail arrived. Her father… Tadashi's Baymax… Tadashi… no words could even begin to describe the myriad of emotions that welled within him. He and Abigail's fates were seemingly destined to be intertwined the moment Project Silent Sparrow experienced its catastrophic failure. But he could not blame Abigail for being lost to the other side, and he realized what guilt and pain she was holding onto. Feeling responsible for her father, for Tadashi… having known his brother personally, at that.

"Abigail… it does still hurt, to have lost them both. But… You are not to blame for any of this… what you experienced was terrifying and out of your control… You don't have to apologize. That pain… holding onto it so tightly won't help you heal… trust me, I know," Hiro opened his eyes, looking at the distraught Abigail. She had been playful and teasing, even encouraging at times. But at this moment, Hiro knew that her demeanor could not betray what she was truly feeling. Hiro took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself.

"Abigail, I appreciate you coming to see me. For wanting to thank me and Baymax. But it's not your fault, tragedies happen whether we play a hand in it or not. Tadashi… would've wanted me to forgive your father, he looked up to him. Someday, I hope I can, if at least to stop feeling this pain. But you aren't your father and you don't have to take responsibility for what he did out of grief…" Hiro spoke, decidedly with honest confidence felt in his voice. There was still lingering resentment towards Professor Callaghan, but he did not feel right to hold Abigail accountable for his actions. He walked up to Abigail, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder like Tadashi would do to comfort him. "You knew Tadashi, you know that he would not want you to be this way. He never wanted to hurt people, and… I don't think he would want us to hurt so much because of him. I think he would want us to be able to move forward."

Abigail took a deep breath, opening her eyes and looking down at the young boy who was ironically comforting her. An honest expression of concern and care on his face. She thought about the boy and what he's gone through. Despite his youthful appearance, he was certainly far more mature beyond his years. It was not simply because he had a nearly unrivaled intellect that surpassed many others of any age. But he had experienced loss throughout his life, she could tell these experiences hurt him deeply, but they also shaped him to be who he is. She could see Tadashi in him. She knew that he was a good kid.

Without a doubt, she was wholly convinced that she needed to do everything in her power to make things up to him and Aunt Cass. And for Tadashi… she felt the need to look after the young boy. She understood that no one can possibly take Tadashi's place, but she realized that she wanted to look after him in his stead. With Tadashi's relationship with her father, at times, she regarded Tadashi like he was her own brother. In that regard, Hiro was the little brother she wanted to care for and make things up to. But she was astounded by his comforting and mature words, she simply reached back towards the boy and embraced him. At first, he was shocked and flustered, but he hugged her back. "You really are a good kid," she spoke softly. Although he hugged her back to reassure and comfort her, Hiro did feel a sense of genuine care and understanding in her embrace. It was almost familiar, nearly like the feeling of understanding and care he felt when he received a hug from Gogo at one of his worst moments.

"Thank you, Hiro," she said as she slowly released her embrace and looked down at the boy, hands resting on his shoulders. "I wanted to come see you, to meet you, so that I could thank you for what you did for me. But I really meant it when I said that I want to return the favor. There is a lot that I wish could have gone differently. Even then, I want to make things up to you. For us to heal. I did come back to San Fransokyo for a special project that I wanted to work with you on…"

Hiro lightly smiled at her, although curious what she meant, "Abigail, I understand. I appreciate it but you really don't have to thank me-" Abigail shook her head to interject, feeling she needed to do this. With the utmost conviction and confidence she could muster, she looked at the boy with a determined expression, "Hiro, I plan to rebuild Project Silent Sparrow. I am going back there to return Tadashi's Baymax back to you and Aunt Cass."

Hiro's eyes widened at her proposal, he was almost speechless. His eyes shifted around, trying to process it all. "Abigail, that's… you don't have to… that could be dangerous-" Once again, Abigail interjected to attempt to convince him, "You risked your own life to save mine. And in your efforts, you lost Baymax. I understand full well what it is I am trying to do, that there is a risk of being lost there again. But finally meeting you, and getting to know Aunt Cass. I am convinced that I must do this, I want to do this. I owe it to Baymax. I owe it to you. I… owe it to Tadashi. Someone has to get him back, and that someone has to be me."

"Abigail…" Hiro was in shock, with such an undertaking there was so much involved and the sheer implications of it shook him to his core. But it was very apparent that she was adamant and could not be convinced otherwise. This was a lot to process for the boy. She reassured him, "I understand that this is all so sudden and that you might need some time to give it some thought. But it would mean so much to me if you worked alongside me to ensure this 'project' is successful. If at the very least, you understand why I am pursuing this. You don't have to answer now. Just… sleep on it."

Hiro took a deep breath, trying to wrap his head around all of this. He would have to think on it more. But he did honestly appreciate what she was trying to do for him and Aunt Cass, to honor Tadashi. It was very telling of her, Hiro began to understand why she did go out of her way to find him. He knew that she genuinely wanted to thank him by returning the first Baymax model. And it was a powerful sentiment. Looking up at Abigail, he nodded, "I… will think on it. But, thank you, Abigail." He suddenly came in for a hug, this time surprising Abigail. But she quickly returned it in kind. She smiled down at the young boy, grateful that he was at least considering it. They stood there for a moment, gathering their thoughts and themselves to calm down. The atmosphere becoming softer again.

"Speaking about sleeping on it… I was going to ask you but Aunt Cass says you have no say on the matter, so… I'm spending the night here," Abigail playfully broke the momentary silence. The young boy nearly jumped back, his face flushed red. She chuckled at his flustered expression, amused how quickly he turned red. "What?! She said that… Well… I mean it is late I guess and…but," the boy stammered as if he was trying to convince himself that it was the most logical solution for his guest. He admitted that he was becoming more comfortable with being around Abigail, but he would have never thought that she would be sleeping over too.

"I know this is all so sudden," she said with understanding. The boy nodded. "Yeah… everything really. Well can't exactly argue with Aunt Cass and I wouldn't kick you out of course, I'm not mean," Hiro exclaimed, his voice cracking with timid acceptance that she was here to stay. "Don't worry, I'll just be downstairs on the couch. For the most part, I'll be out of your messy hair. But, uhh, do you happen to have any blankets I could borrow?"

"Oh, ok. Yeah. Of course!" Hiro clumsily foraged around his room into a drawer to grab some extra blankets. She noticed that when he gets flustered, even his coordination seems to become disorganized. He handed her the folded blankets, barely looking up. "Here you go. Well… umm… goodnight?" the boy said in an almost confused questioning manner while at the same time wishing her the pleasantry.

Taking it from his hands, "Thanks, Hiro. Yes, goodnight." She chuckled, walking towards the stairs. "Thank you, Abigail," Hiro said softly. Shortly, she turned around looking back towards Hiro. "And, really, thank you Hiro. Please… sleep on it. We can discuss it when you are ready. You'll know where to find me… because, you know, I'll be here," Abigail said playfully, but reminding him that she wanted him to take the time to process things, to consider what she was setting out to do.

Hiro smiled, nodding at her, "Goodnight, Abigail." She smiled, walking down the stairs to the living room with Mochi getting up to go follow her down. "Goodnight, Hiro." Turning off the lights of his room, he looked at the sleeping Baymax and smiled. He thought about the possibility of having the first Baymax back, another meaningful keepsake from Tadashi. Another part of his legacy. He got into his bed, closing his eyes as he tried to process the day in its entirety. Drifting to calming sleep.


	8. No Other Angle

**Author's Note: It was fun writing this chapter, took a bit to figure out how I wanted it to go but this leads to the juicy parts of the series I've been wanting to go to, ever since I started this series. I hope you enjoy the read!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 8: No Other Angle**

A foreign world of floating purple clouds, forming swirling fractals with increasing entropy. A bright yellow stellar mass stood in the distance, sharply contrasting from its purple surroundings, its flower petal-like waves rotating and alternating around its gateway. Strewn among the clouds, concrete debris floated haphazardly.

Stranded at a halt atop a white test spacecraft, the purple-armor clad young boy pleaded with his friend. The robot companion was adamant that Hiro and Abigail could only return back home by launching them, sacrificing himself to remain in the process.

In a tender, soft manner, the robot asked for permission to launch them back to the portal and deactivate,"/Are you satisfied with your care?/"

"No! There's got to be another way. I'm not going to leave you here. I'll think of something," the young boy refused to accept that the sacrifice of his friend would be the only way to get back to their side of Silent Sparrow. His eyes shifting everywhere, pleading that this time he could think of or even see "another angle," to find a solution that was not otherwise apparent.

For someone with unbridled intellect to solve nearly every problem he encountered, it was absolutely terrifying that he could not think of another solution. Even if he tried to grab Baymax's other hand after the rocket fist is launched, it would affect their trajectory and most likely move them off course from the portal, effectively stranding all of them. Tadashi had taught his little brother to look for another angle, it had helped him to find solutions in a pinch thus far. But now, his options were inevitably narrowed to the robot's proposed plan. The reality of the situation was excruciating.

"/There is no time. Are you satisfied with your care?/" the healthcare companion tersely advised him that there was no "other angle" that could be found. The robot was programmed with the very same selfless personality that he had shared with his creator. Just like Tadashi, for Baymax, the safety and wellbeing of Hiro superseded his own. Baymax knew there was no other viable course of action under the circumstances.

"Please… No… I can't lose you too," the boy pleaded, unwilling to face another personal loss of a loved one. To lose Tadashi's healthcare companion felt like he was losing Tadashi again, but this time he would have the opportunity to say farewell. The situation was forcing him to be the one to say goodbye before their separation. But he could not bear to lose a part of his brother, his legacy and presence represented by his creation.

Blinking briefly, the robot suddenly spoke with a warm, familiar and comforting voice that was not his own. Almost as if it was the farewell that he would have wanted to have left his little brother with. It was the soft, confident and comforting voice of Tadashi, "Hiro, I will always be with you."

* * *

Hiro's eyes opened suddenly as he awoke from his dream, gazing at the tiffany blue ceiling walls of his bedroom. He wiped his hand along his forehead, closing his eyes as he sighed deeply. He turned his head, looking at the side of the room divided by the shoji panel screen. Scanning the side of the room preserved, almost as if he would hope that he would wake up to Tadashi laying there, seeing him on his bed reading his nerd books.

His gaze shifted towards the red container, the distinct closed eyes of his healthcare companion seen within a small window of the charging station. Abigail's proposal of returning to that strange place, a dimensional void that could even be described as hauntingly beautiful were it not for its dangerous nature. The young boy continued to reflect on such an undertaking, the risks involved to Abigail. Surely, if she was able to recreate Project Silent Sparrow and enter that world to retrieve Baymax, he could not allow her to go at it alone.

He could see in her eyes, she was determined to see this through. Someone had to help her, he had to help her. Tadashi would have. Furthermore, having the first Baymax that Tadashi machined himself would be… Hiro had never thought about the possibility of having him back. He regarded Baymax like family, like a piece of Tadashi that remained in the world and allowed his dream to help people live on. Of course, Baymax's sleight of hand allowed his green healthcare chip to cross back over with Hiro, along with it everything that made Baymax, well Baymax.

Certainly, Baymax never left in that regard as he continues on in the second model frame. But Hiro could not deny that there was an unquantifiable sentimental value with the first model. It was Tadashi's personally developed Baymax that he had spent countless hours putting together to its completion. If Tadashi's Baymax was able to return, what would that mean for him or even Aunt Cass? Thinking about the cascade of emotions he felt there in the other side, the feeling of losing Baymax, and with him, a part of Hiro had to accept that Tadashi was truly gone. The fear that his legacy would be lost to the void.

After sleeping on the matter and experiencing his dream, he had seemingly made up his mind that he would embark on this special project with Abigail. To help Tadashi's legacy and influence continue to benefit the world as he would have, this time twofold. The boy stood from his bed, promptly changing out of his sleeping attire, and walked his way downstairs. Immediately smelling the sweet aroma of blueberry pancakes.

But to his surprise, he saw Aunt Cass sitting at the table enjoying breakfast for a change and Abigail in the kitchen putting together their breakfast meal. "Good morning, Hiro! Abigail made us breakfast! Don't remember the last time I ever had breakfast I did not make myself," Aunt Cass beamed, pouring an obscene amount of syrup on her pancakes. "I figured, since you cook and bake all day at home and at the Lucky Cat, maybe you could use a quick break for your breakfast," Abigail turned her head slightly towards them, still tending to the last batch of pancakes on her pan.

Hiro smiled, happy to see Aunt Cass even brighter in the morning thanks to Abigail. Turning off the stove and bringing the last batch, Abigail walked towards the table. "Good morning, Hiro. Sleep well I hope," Abigail greeted him, motioning for him to take a seat so she could serve him a plate. Her greeting holding a hidden meaning, asking if the boy had thought about her proposed project after sleeping on it.

"Yeah, you could say that," Hiro responded, still wiping the sleepiness from his eyes. "Glad to hear it," Abigail smiled as she set down some pancakes for Hiro. The young boy and Aunt Cass was immediately amused to see a decorative face on the pancake made of fruit, but the face was distinctly made to look like Baymax's. He smiled, "Like your choice of design, thanks Abigail." Abigail nodded with pride in her work, happy to see the Hamada's enjoying her breakfast. She sat down along with them, now getting to enjoy her pancakes herself.

"/A healthy breakfast is the recommended way to begin the day/" Baymax stated informatively, waddling down the stairs from Hiro's bedroom. "Well, look whose sober," Abigail quipped, then quickly realized her joke might not be appropriate for the environment. Aunt Cass chuckled but put a finger to her mouth, looking towards Hiro as if to tell Abigail, "Not in front of the boy." The boy briefly pouted, looking at the two, "Come on, you really don't have to act like that Aunt Cass. I'm not a kid, I'm a fourteen-year-old college student, after all," the boy tried to reason, quickly catching himself as Aunt Cass squinted at the boy with a suspicious expression.

"But! I'm not saying that I have tried it before! Just… don't have to hide it like I'm not old enough to know about it." Aunt Cass went back to eating her pancake, somewhat satisfied with his explanation, "Well, okay Hiro. I trust you…" However, her tone indicated that she was going to watch him, adamant that she wanted him to continue staying out of trouble.

"/Hiro, you are currently not of age to legally consume alcoh-/" Baymax pointed out the obvious subject they were dancing around, but was promptly interrupted by Hiro. "Yeah, I know Baymax. There's no need to worry on that!" He had only wanted them to stop treating him like an oblivious kid, not that he had any particular desire to consume adult beverages, of course. He shot a pouted expression towards Abigail, blaming her for getting him in trouble in front of Aunt Cass. Abigail leaned over to whisper to him discreetly much to Hiro's annoyance, "Very smooth. You did that to yourself."

"It's good to see you back to normal, Baymax. But it was a treat to see you in your low battery state," Abigail laughed, with Baymax merely cocking his head to the side and blinking at her with curious confusion. Everyone continued to enjoy their breakfast, Aunt Cass getting up from her seat to offer everyone more juice. Hiro and Abigail smiled as they observed Baymax, who was clumsily attempting to set up a chair for himself at the table and sit on it without constantly tipping it over.

Hiro turned to Abigail, "You know, I've been thinking about your special project. Count me in." Abigail's eyes widened briefly, surprised at his relatively fast decision. But she was happy and relieved to hear it, smiling to him. "Glad you gave it thought. We'll check in with Alistair to get things underway." At the mention of Mr. Krei's first name, Abigail noticed Aunt Cass roll her eyes with minor disdain. Abigail was curious at her reaction to hearing about Alistair, but Hiro shook his head at Abigail, whispering to her, "Don't ask." Abigail smiled, realizing there must be a story there, but she would have to let it be for now. "Okay, we can stop by his office after breakfast," the boy conceded. The two nodded to each other, finishing their pancakes.

* * *

Ascending up the Krei Tech Industries main building, Abigail and Hiro were squeezed forward into the elevator as Baymax positioned himself to fit. Upon arriving at top floor, Abigail and Hiro were surprised to see Alistair Krei immediately there to greet them as soon as the elevator doors opened. He shook Abigail's hand firmly and motioned them towards their seats as he paced to his side of the desk.

"Welcome back, Abigail. Thank you for coming. And hello…intern," the man raised an eyebrow, not sure how to particularly greet the boy in this situation since Hiro wasn't here for his intern role. "I'm Sorry Baymax, don't have seat that would fit you," Mr. Krei formally apologized to the healthcare companion.

"/I am a robot. I do not need to sit./" Baymax responded, simply opting to stand next to Hiro and Abigail as they moved towards the seats. "And that's why you're my favorite robot," Alistair smiled, then looked towards the two.

"I don't usually take same day appointments, but for you Abigail, I can happily make the exception. My next client can wait, I don't really like him much anyways. Too demanding and needy…" the business executive held a finger up to ask for a moment. Pressing a button on his desk, "Assistant? Assistant…? Junie?"

"Judy. What can I do for you?" The personal assistant tersely corrected her boss. "Could you tell Mr. Eccleston that I will have to meet him another time or whatever?" Judy responded shortly after, "Ok, I'll let him know you'll meet him 'another time or whatever.'" Krei narrowed his eyes with little annoyance, "Thanks… Assistant." Hiro and Abigail sat down in the seats in front of Krei's desk, snickering at his interactions with Judy. Alistair took a deep breath, composing himself again.

"Well, glad to see you again, Abigail. I trust Hiro was a perfect gentleman on your 'date?'" Alistair quipped, looking towards the boy and hoping to illicit a reaction from him. He got flustered but needed to fight back so they couldn't tease him with that anymore. "Well, it wasn't a date. But it certainly went better than your actual date, 'Uncle Krei,'" the young boy smirked confidently and defiantly.

"Well, I got tied up in the bathroom by that creep! How else would a date go after that?" Mr. Krei got flustered and irritated, remembering his date with Aunt Cass that ended up a disaster. Abigail laughed, remembering Aunt Cass' scowl at hearing Alistair's name. Evermore curious, she said, "Okay, now someone has to tell me this story, seriously."

"No, no that won't be necessary. Not a word, Hiro. Let's just leave it at that. Point taken," Mr. Krei cleared his throat, trying to redirect the conversation away from the embarrassing subject. Still with a smug expression towards Mr. Krei, Hiro crossed his arms triumphantly.

"Well, where were we? Ah, yes. Anyways, how can I help you, Abigail?" Alistair asked, recomposing himself once again for the actual business at hand. If Abigail would return to San Fransokyo for some kind of project, it must have been important if she was willing to see him or to search for Hiro.

Abigail crossed a leg over another casually, her hands resting near her navel with her fingers interlocked. Her face changed into a serious, confident expression, "'Project Silent Sparrow.' Can you recreate it?"

Alistair's eyes immediately widened, and he pushed off of his desk, as if he was physically trying to maneuver away from the proposal. "What?! Abigail, why would you possibly…? I… No... I can't let you go back there, I already lost you once under my watch…" Alistair's incredulous expression, in complete disbelief his colleague would even consider such a thing.

"Alistair… I appreciate your concern, but I understand the risks involved. Please… this means everything to me. Perhaps it's the very reason I was brought back here in San Fransokyo. I was meant to do this," Abigail motioned to calm Krei down and reassure him that she was very much clearheaded.

"That's dangerous tech, Abigail. You of all people should know that. What could possibly make you want to even go back into that thing?" The business executive looked towards Hiro, who he remarked as being oddly quiet or complicit in the plan. "Hiro, you're ok with this?"

Hiro took a deep breath, perhaps still processing the situation still. "I had to give it some thought, I wasn't comfortable with it either, Mr. Krei. But Abigail is determined to see this through… she... wants to return Tadashi's Baymax that was stranded there. She's going to continue pursuing this whether I support it or not. So, I can't let her go at it alone and Baymax... he's family."

Mr. Krei rested his hand along his chin, his face wracked with concern and deep in thought. The business executive had been reckless throughout his career, he had made many judgment calls with high risks for high reward. But he felt that this foolhardiness is what inadvertently led to Abigail being stranded during Project Silent Sparrow's catastrophic failure. It was something that he did not express to others, but he was remorseful of it and felt that he played a part in it. What it did to her, to his friend and colleague, Robert… the chain of events that led to Hiro's loss of his older brother and his creation.

Abigail sat up, hoping to convince the typically reckless business tycoon. "Alistair, please. I need your help on this. Please trust me on this. You said that you would do everything you can to help me… I owe it to Hiro, to his brother. I owe my life to Baymax, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him making that sacrifice," Abigail motioned her hands towards Hiro and Baymax next to her.

"But… Baymax is still here, with Hiro. He's standing right there. Why do you have to risk yourself for that one? I don't many any offense but isn't that just his old body?" Mr. Krei genuinely wondered, trying to weigh the risks with their objective to even consider supporting this. Hiro was initially offended but understood what he meant. That same Baymax, with his memories and personality, do continue through the second model that was with them now. For all intents and purposes, that is Baymax.

"If you want to have two Baymaxes, you could just machine him here at Krei Tech. We have more than what's necessary to create another one and copy his healthcare chip," Alistair genuinely proposed an alternative he hoped they would consider. Before Hiro could explain, Abigail stepped in, "It's not about having another Baymax model. It's true that Baymax does continue on through his second body here, but that model drifting alone is more than just a body. Tadashi, himself, had built it… And I owe it to the Hamada family and Baymax to return what was lost to them in order to save me." Krei looked down, deep in thought with a concerted effort to think this through. He understood where she was coming from on this.

"Alistair, please. It's how we can both make it up to them for that accident." Alistair's eyes locked with Abigail's, he saw the determination and certainty, the conviction within her. He understood why Hiro would not have been able to dissuade her, even if he had tried. But perhaps she was right, perhaps this would be the decision that would help ease his conscience and make it up to her. Or even, make it up to Hiro. Although he belittles him as his intern, he still recognizes that the boy had continued to place himself at risk to save him several times. And Silent Sparrow's failure started the sequence of events that took his older brother and Baymax away from him. In an indirect way, Krei felt that he played a part in their tragedy.

For a moment, Alistair Krei closed his eyes to consider his decision. "I want to help, Abigail. I really do. But even if I agreed to help... I'm sorry, I no longer have the project plans or the development team to recreate it." The business executive sighed, scratching his head.

"Sure, I have the funds to get the materials, but... after our lab was quarantined… the government pressured me to discontinue all work surrounding it and erase all records of its existence. That's why I had to have the Akuma Island lab disintegrated. And the project development team all left, it seems they blacklisted me and refuse to work for me no matter how much I offer them," he frowned, speaking apologetically. Naturally, he was emphasizing the implication he offered them a large amount of money to stay on at Krei Tech Industries.

"I see..." Abigail sighed, disappointed at suddenly experiencing a major setback or barrier to their mission. But she was determined to get all the pieces together, "I understand, Alistair. But still, there has to be a way. Hypothetically, if we can somehow get the project plans to rebuild it, could you provide the materials and the location?"

"Even if we got the plans to rebuild it, what you're asking me to do is... not legal in the eyes of the government," Krei advised cautiously. She looked to her colleague, recognizing that he would be placing himself at risk with the government… perhaps even placing all of them at risk. At the conclusion of the failed test, the government had did everything it could to deny any involvement or that the project even existed.

Hiro shot Mr. Krei a brief look of annoyed disbelief. Then he lightened up, waving his hand playfully in dismissal, "Yeah Mr. Krei, you're way above conducting unethical business deals..." His tone decidedly sarcastic, he clears his throat to emphasize, "Ahem…You know, like getting black market data chips? Don't think the government would approve of that either, I suppose. But what do I know?"

Mr. Krei narrowed his eyes at the boy, sighing, "Well, you got me there, intern." Abigail looked down at Hiro, chuckling at his snarky approach but grateful for pushing Krei along. Without him explicitly promising his support, Abigail exclaimed, "Perfect! Thank you, Alistair. It will be good to work with you again."

"But I didn't say I was okay with… Fine... Well, I should be able to start up construction of another facility at Akuma Island again to get things rolling. We'll probably disguise it as another research project on the surface, then hide our actual project underground at a deep sub-level. Government can't snoop around if they don't even know about a sub-level," Krei devised the clandestine plan rather quickly, causing Hiro to speculate that the business tycoon had already considered these measures for another shady project meant to be under the radar.

"Perfect! Thank you, Alistair!" Abigail dropped her stern, business-like demeanor to walk up to Krei and hug him with gratitude. She did appreciate that he agreed to help out, even placing himself and his company potentially at risk for reprimand. "Yeah, yeah. I'll have my team begin construction right away, but mind you, it will take some time. And I really mean, some time."

"How long is 'some time?'" Hiro inquired, noting the executive's emphasis. "Well, between a decoy facility and creating a secure sub-level adequate deep enough to comfortably dodge any government suspicions… six months at the very least. And that's being generous or hopeful. Realistically, perhaps a year or more, even. And my construction teams are the best money can afford," Mr. Krei informed them. In his usual fashion, he emphasized his ability to afford the best that money could buy. But for this, this is exactly why Abigail regarded Alistair's support as absolutely essential. He had the funds and the means for this to even be possible. Unfortunately, it was to be expected that it would take time for something of this scale, but the projected timeframe was discouraging.

Hiro quickly brainstormed, looking at the situation and attempting to create multiple plausible solutions to expedite the construction process. He tried to look for another angle, something perhaps he would never think to consider. In a moment of serendipity, the young genius was able to come up with a potential solution. His face initially lit up, he let out a laugh in triumph as the others looked to him.

Without a doubt, the boy had a solution. But his initial excitement became one of hesitation and introspection. This solution would have its potential downfalls that he needed to account for. One that he was hesitant on for a moment, trying to see if there was an alternative.

Abigail, Mr. Krei and even Baymax looked to the boy in anticipation. Hiro looked up at Mr. Krei, "I will allow your construction crews to use the microbots to expedite construction, it should only take a month or two instead if all goes well." Krei's face brightened up, "Hiro, that's a great idea!"

But Hiro put his finger up to continue, "But only on these conditions: I will create a failsafe system that will deactivate any and all microbots and neurotransmitters in use if I deem it necessary. I will have an A.I. system in place to continuously monitor their use, ensuring that they remain only on task with the facility's construction. If your workers even think to pocket a single microbot, my A.I. will know. Any deviation, and I will pull the plug. Oh, and this is a loan. I'm not giving Krei Tech my microbots or neurotransmitter design, I will be taking them back after their done. All of them. If your tech analysts, or you, even think to discern my neurotransmitter design or attempt to tamper with the failsafe, the systems will short out and be scrambled so they can't even attempt to recreate it. And I may be your intern, but mind you I can look into your files to make sure my work didn't get stolen if I really want to. You're your level of encrypted files are not an issue for me."

Abigail whistled in amazement, "You are sharp. You can't mess with that, Alistair. That's quite the solution, boy genius." She was genuinely impressed at his ability to think of a comprehensive solution on the fly, not to mention consider various control implements to ensure that potential risks were mitigated. He was thorough and truly gifted. But she could not blame him for being cautious, his invention was intended for projects like these. But he experienced firsthand that they can be misused if in the wrong hands.

Mr. Krei smiled, respecting the boy's business savvy approach. A shame he didn't exercise that same level of due diligence when he signed on as his intern. Krei nodded and verbally agreed, "I understand, Hiro. It's your tech. I'll wager it on your internship contract if I breach your conditions, you have my word that my team and I will comply. But thank you for loaning it to my team, it will speed up the process exponentially."

He understood the boy's mistrust on the matter. At the admittance symposium, they had caught Mr. Krei when he pocketed one of the small machines upon their first meeting each other. Not to mention, their attempt to recreate the neurotransmitter was vastly inferior than Hiro's design and even that prototype was stolen to create the former supervillain, Globby. Who stole Krei's wallet much to his chagrin… Besides, Hiro was now an asset of Krei Tech, perhaps their Research and Development department would experience more breakthroughs if Hiro trusted him more. The boy's intellect would benefit him more than any single invention Mr. Krei could get his hands on. He had to think about treating the boy as a partner.

"Baymax, did you record Mr. Krei verbally agreeing?" Hiro turned over to smile at his robot companion. "/Yes, Hiro. I have stored the verbal agreement./" Baymax responded, with a tape recorder looking interface on his body screen. He promptly replayed back what Mr. Krei had said. Honestly, Krei was impressed at the boy's ability to conduct a business deal and cover all of his bases. He somewhat was hoping this was learned from being his intern. "Thanks, buddy," he looked to the robot. "/You are welcome./"

"Good, then on those terms, they may use them. I'll begin producing them today, and not here. At my personal labs at SFIT and home. You know, precautions and all," the boy was exceedingly cautious. It's not just that he did not trust Mr. Krei, it was that he did not want another invention of his to be used nefariously or unethically. It had happened with his microbots with Professor Callaghan and his completed energy amplifier device with Obake. He was determined not to repeat that mistake. It was only because this project meant a lot to him personally, that he would even revisit his microbot invention.

"Well, then. That takes care of where we are going to conduct the project. But we still need to figure out a way to reconstruct Silent Sparrow. If even just a small lead for us to work off of and develop it from there. You are certain you can't get at least one scientist from the original project development team, Alistair?" Abigail asked Krei, hoping he could think of at least one member to come on board for this project.

Alistair shook his head, "No, I'm sorry Abigail but that's a dead end. They all blacklisted me and refuse to have any communications between us. Trust me I've tried to get them back for other projects and would have paid them handsomely. But honestly, if even one of them catches wind of this, they won't hesitate to blow the whistle to get me behind bars."

"You sure know how to win people over, don't you Mr. Krei?" Hiro snidely commented on how Mr. Krei seems to amass a lot of enemies, even among those within his own team. Like the inventor, Dr. Mel Meyer, who developed their Flexible Display Technology but disapproved of their use for the "Buddy Guard" drones. He wasn't surprised there would be those who would try to get him convicted, but this situation does not provide any options in approaching the previous Project Silent Sparrow development team.

"Well! It's called good business!" Mr. Krei responded to his sarcastic accusation. "But really, Mr. Krei. You are certain that all of your files surrounding Silent Sparrow was wiped clean? Or were they encrypted and locked away, because that won't be a problem for-" Hiro was abruptly interrupted by Mr. Krei, "No, no, no. Don't go snooping into my files! I assure you, they were wiped clean." Krei knew that the boy was skilled enough to hack through his systems, and he didn't want to have to explain all of the deals and projects he has in the works.

"We'll have to find a way to recreate it, I'm not giving up on this," Abigail exclaimed, although perplexed at this issue, she was still determined. "Well, there has to be another way… just have to find a new angle," Hiro sighed, trying to think of other ways they could even attempt to start on something they had no technical knowledge about. If only just a lead, if he was capable of having a starting point he could try to design the portal device from the bottom-up.

After all, the boy was capable of constructing a fully-functioning, stable energy amplifier device, once thought to be a difficult feat even by the likes of Lenore Shimamoto or the young genius Bob Aken. If he had something to work off of, he was confident he would be able to design it. But the issue was, there was no data or person's work to go off of…

Suddenly, Hiro began scratching his head violently, further ruffling his messy black hair everywhere. It was as if he was trying to get an unwelcome thought out of his head. Once again, they all looked to the boy genius in anticipation that he had found another solution so soon. But Hiro did not like this one, it was an angle he wished he didn't even consider. He desperately tried to look for other angles, any other viable solution would be preferable to this one. He sighed, silently accepting that it was the only one. Calming himself down to try to propose the solution.

"I can't believe that I am the one saying this… but there is one person who can help us… he was able to reconstruct Silent Sparrow and make it functional all on his own…" Hiro muttered, lingering resentment and anguish behind his voice. Abigail and Krei's eyes widened, they already knew he was referring to based on his tone. It was not an option they even considered. "My father…? Hiro… If that is the only way, I understand if you do not want to pursue this," Abigail was shocked that he would be the one to propose this of all people. But she wanted to reassure him that he does not have to involve himself with her father if the anger and pain was too much to face.

"I… I want to bring back Tadashi's Baymax. For Aunt Cass. For Tadashi…" he paused to take a deep breath. "There is no other angle for us to explore. Professor Callaghan's working knowledge of Silent Sparrow is our only means of getting a functional portal built." The boy looked down, clenching his fists at this development that he is grudgingly advocating for. "Hiro… I didn't mean to put you in this kind of situation…" Abigail said softly, she wanted to pursue this to help the boy heal and not necessarily force him to face his trauma head on.

Hiro took a deep inhale, forcefully exhaling a sigh as if to shake off his tension. He looked up at the young woman concerned for him, that man's very own daughter, "I know, Abigail. Thanks, please don't worry too much. I was the one who thought of it. It was my idea, remember?" The thought of working with Professor Callaghan was unsettling for the boy, but Hiro believes family comes first before yourself. Baymax was an extension of Tadashi. And he desperately wanted to move forward and heal.

Truthfully, the memory of the augmented reality he was subjected still disturbed him. Obake's illusion of his older brother still haunts him, for a moment he really wished it was him. It was line crossed too far, even for Obake. It sullied his memories of the real Tadashi. Hiro needed to honor Tadashi's true memory and legacy, and for him, retrieving his Baymax would do just that.

Baymax reached his arms around the young boy, startling him with the sudden embrace. "/It is difficult losing a loved one./" the robot comforted his friend. Hiro smiled up at him, patting his healthcare companion. The irony being that one of the lost loved ones that he was trying to comfort Hiro about, was Baymax, himself. Well, sort of.

"Will Robert even agree to help rebuild Silent Sparrow…? To work with me? For that matter, would he even agree to you going back in the portal?" Alistair wondered, they were concerns that they had to contend with. There were many reasons why Professor Callaghan could refuse to help. Perhaps he still had a lingering vendetta against Krei. But Abigail did not expect to involve her father in this project, she had actually hoped to conduct it with his knowledge so he wouldn't have to worry or attempt to dissuade her.

In this situation, Abigail knew if she did not have everything in place to ensure their success, her father would most likely refuse to help. She recognized that her father would be deathly afraid of losing her. He would have to willingly allow Abigail to enter the portal again and face the trauma of seeing her crossover. It would be difficult to convince him to allow her to risk herself for this. There was a lot of things needed for the remote possibility of convincing him.

"It all hinges on my father agreeing to help rebuild Silent Sparrow. I have to… We have to convince him to get on board," Abigail replied, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "You know your father, he wouldn't dare risk you being lost again. So, how can we possibly convince him?" Alistair asked, skeptical that this was even possible. He was right to be concerned, Robert had been driven to murderous intent after losing Abigail. She meant that much to him.

Abigail took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a pregnant pause. Hiro laid back on Baymax, hoping his brain would find the next solution. But it was difficult to, this was Professor Callaghan they were dealing with. His emotions were making it difficult to think clearly. He looked towards Abigail, who opened her eyes followed by a confident smirk on her face.

"I know someone who can help us convince him," Abigail said confidently, without a sense of doubt in her tone. They looked to her, wondering who could help them in this situation. Cryptically, Abigail looked towards the boy genius who was ever curious, "Hiro, what time are you out of class tomorrow? I think I'll pay SFIT a visit."


	9. Accept it with Grace

**Author's Note: I realize I am coming out with these relatively quickly, but trying to take advantage of the inspiration and creative flow before I hit any extended writer's block. But thank you for reading and hope you are enjoying this series thus far.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 9: Accept it with Grace**

The young genius walked alongside Abigail, showing her what has changed since she was last here. They walked next to a building that Abigail was not familiar with. Hiro smiled, motioning his hand to introduce the building to her. Hiro's eyes softened, but proudly exclaimed, "And that's Tadashi Hamada Hall."

Despite the sting of being reminded where he had lost his brother to that fated fire, he was grateful that the staff of San Fransokyo Institute of Technology sought to honor both Tadashi's selfless courage and what he had aspired to do with technology and the betterment of the world. Hiro and Aunt Cass, along with the gang, were there for the opening of the new building that was named in his honor. The outpouring of support and commemoration of his older brother meant a lot to him and Aunt Cass. With it, another part of Tadashi's legacy will continue to inspire the next generations of SFIT classes to use technology to help people.

Abigail walked slowly and mindfully, gliding her hand over the outer wall of the building and moving towards the entrance. She walked in, along with Hiro and Baymax. They all looked at the commemorative statue in the middle of Tadashi Hamada Hall. It stood proudly as a beacon, crafted with careful detail. The recreation of Tadashi standing casually, an easy smile on his face and his distinct San Fransokyo Ninjas ball cap on. "Pretty sick, huh?" Hiro mused, proud that his brother continues to live on another way for all to see, in a place that he loved.

Abigail walked up to the statue, looking down to read its inscription, its words inspired by the young man, himself. The inscription read, "Should you find yourself discouraged, shake things up. Use that big brain of yours to think your way out and find a new angle. Never give up, even should you fail and fail. Perhaps even eighty-three times, success might be around the corner. You may not understand it yet, but people need you. Someone has to help, so let that someone be you. Stand tall and get back to work." Tadashi's words will continue to give future students the inspiration to keep pushing forward and innovate, a testament to his character. During the construction of the hall, Hiro was asked if he could write the inscription in honor of his brother. Naturally, he combined all of the wisdom and care of his brother that he had imparted in him. After all, they were words held deeply in the young boy's heart and ones he tried to live by.

Abigail smiled warmly, looking throughout the building with awe. She looked to Hiro, nodding to each other that it was time to meet the one person who could help them convince Professor Callaghan. As they walked across the campus to the main administrative building, Abigail recollected her memories of Granville when she was younger.

"Ummm… you sure we are talking about THE same Professor Granville?" Hiro shot Abigail a genuinely confused face, an eyebrow raised as he looked up with an incredulous expression of utter disbelief. It was nearly impossible for the boy to see her otherwise, trying to imagine Granville being different from her usual disciplinarian, "drill sergeant-like" self. They were walking through the campus of SFIT to visit the current head professor, herself.

"Yes! She was always so lively when I saw her as a kid, she was very sweet and caring. She really had quite a style too. If only you could have seen it yourself. Such a retro look, now that I think back on it. I'm pretty sure Wendy Wower based her character on Granville for her education show! She was her student after all," Abigail exclaimed, reminiscing about her fond memories of the professor.

"Yeah…I seriously doubt that. That can't be true," Hiro waved his hand and shaking his head, dismissing the thought of a lively, sweet and caring "Wendy Wower's Science Hour" version of Professor Granville. Should that Granville ever have existed, he had wished that that was his professor instead. Perhaps then, the young student would not be constantly under the head professor's direct scrutiny.

They continued to walk down the hall until Hiro stopped at Professor Granville's office door. But Abigail was already familiar with this area, familiar with this entire building as if she was returning to an old home. She was all too familiar with this hall, especially that particular office. It had been her father's office during his time as SFIT's dean and head professor. She had visited it many times as a child and an adult, throughout most of her life growing up, actually.

The young boy took a deep breath, amusing Abigail as she witnessed Hiro seem to prepare himself to just see Professor Granville. Then Hiro looked to Abigail, his expression became smug, almost betting that Abigail would be surprised when she saw the head professor. "Well then, she's different now. You'll see how 'lively' and 'sweet' she is," he said sarcastically as he turned to knock on her door ever so carefully and precisely. She could tell this was a routine procedure for Hiro. Abigail chuckled, figuring the boy had to see Professor Granville regularly by the sounds of how she counsels him.

"Come in," Professor Granville responded shortly, her stern voice piercing past her office door. Hiro opened the door slightly and peeked his head in to see Professor Granville typing away on her laptop. Baymax shortly peeked behind the wall around the corner, mirroring Hiro.

"Hey, uh, Professor Granville, you have a moment?" Hiro greeted her with an uneasy smile. Without moving her head, only her eyes looked up to see her young student and only an eyebrow seemed to react as it raised with curiosity wondering why the boy was there for an unscheduled meeting.

"Mr. Hamada. Come to tell me you've broken another one of my doors again?" she asked sarcastically despite doing so in her stern manner. Hiro laughed nervously, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck embarrassedly. Baymax interjected, "/That was an accident. Hiro was wearing his Nano-/" but Hiro quickly stopped him with a finger to the robot's face to hush him.

"Well, no. I mean... umm, not this time. Still haven't let that one go, huh…?" the boy laughed uneasily, trying to bring the conversation back to why he was there in the first place. "Well, it's just that I have a visitor who wanted to specifically see you," Hiro turned to open the door completely, looking outside the office towards their visitor and nodding that it was time to make her appearance.

Hiro stepped further into the room and quickly stepped to the side to make space, displaying "jazz hands" directed towards the open door enthusiastically in anticipation for the visitor. This caught Granville's attention, raising her head to see a slender, young woman stepping towards her with a warm smile on her face.

It took a moment for her to recognize this oddly familiar face, looking at her large blue eyes that immediately reminded her of… "Ms. Callaghan? Or can I still call you little Abby?" Granville's eyes immediately widened, but her expression was one of unusual elation and delight. Her voice uncharacteristically warm and welcoming. She immediately stood up from her desk, maneuvering quickly around it to meet Abigail in the middle of the room. A rare smile shown on Granville's face, undeniably present, in a way that seemed to betray her usual hard-set demeanor. Hiro looked on in wonder at such a rare sight, though slightly disturbed by how unusual it is from her usual intimidating expression.

"If I can still call you Auntie Granville?" Abigail joked as she immediately closed in to give Granville a heartfelt hug. Professor Granville was initially taken aback, not expecting it. "I see you are still not big on hugging," Abigail quipped as she noted how Granville withdrew from the sudden physical contact, her hands awkwardly floating around Abigail.

Then suddenly, Granville warmly accepted the hug, to Hiro's surprise, and pulled Abigail closer to her, "Look who came back from the 'other side.'" Granville said this decidedly, her words intentionally holding a double meaning. Most certainly she was pleased to see Abigail be back from the other side of that failed project that she was vaguely aware of, saved by the actions of her young student and his healthcare companion no less.

For a time, the world had believed that Abigail had truly gone to the other side. Of course, the "other side" being a simple euphemism for crossing into the afterlife or simply alluding to her death. Professor Granville recalled that she had once attended Abigail's "funeral." Officially, Abigail was said to have perished in an accident while piloting the experimental prototype of an unspecified military aircraft, with no remains to be found in the aftermath. But much to her relief, which is understating it, she was happy to see Abigail very much alive and well.

They pulled apart, their hands resting along each other's arms, as they were adjusting to how much both of them has changed since they last seen each other. "And please, you can call me Grace now. You're no longer that little girl that followed her father around the campus," Professor Granville said in uncharacteristically joking manner.

Granville reflected on how Abigail was merely two-years old when her father would bring her along to work, where they met each other when she was still teaching. In a short time, Abigail bonded with her like she was family.

But suddenly, Abigail never saw her at SFIT again during her visits. Only to see her Auntie Granville at her home periodically when her father wanted to check up on her. She had changed then, but Abigail was too young to understand or notice. Professor Granville would act like her old self to the child. But as Abigail attended SFIT herself, she would come to learn that Granville resigned shortly after a pipe-bursting accident injured her young protégé.

But as Grace mentioned Abigail's father, her face suddenly became sullen. Similarly, Hiro's eyes lowered down as his smile faded. Realizing they were entering an emotional territory. Granville took a deep breath, trying to provide a comforting smile for Abigail. "Robert… Your father loved you dearly, Abby. And he had a difficult time of processing his grief after your 'death…' He was a good man, he was… a friend. While that doesn't justify his actions..." Grace's eyes now looking to Hiro.

The young boy obviously still processing it all. And she knew that this was to be expected, the wounds of his loss were still fresh. Even as time will go by, she knows that her student will always have to face the reality that his older brother is gone, and that he was taken away by the actions of Tadashi's own mentor. She tried to think if she were in his shoes, would she able to bring herself to forgive Professor Callaghan?

Her gaze returned to Abigail's eyes, "I am sorry what happened to you and your father. That terrifying accident that took you away. And what he did... in your absence…" It was an odd moment for Professor Granville, words were escaping her, but she continued, "Pain and loss can drive even the kindest person to do things they wouldn't normally do…and even turn them into someone they are not."

Those words resonated with Hiro. While Professor Granville was referring to Callaghan, Hiro could relate to that sentiment… to a time that his pain and grief drove him to seek violent retribution, upon learning his brother died trying to save his mentor who inadvertently let him die. Certainly, that same pain and grief drove him to hurt his friends, misuse his brother's creation and act in a way that Tadashi wouldn't want him to. That anguish and grief turned to unbridled anger, a desire to take his life… to kill Professor Callaghan. But taking his life would not have changed anything really, Tadashi would still be gone. Through Baymax and his friends, he was able to see what Tadashi would have wanted him to do. Hiro recognized that Professor Callaghan did not have the same support, he let his grief overtake him as he continued on alone.

Granville continued… "Or that pain can make you push away from everything, running from it but it inevitably remains with you." Abigail smiled to herself, appreciating Grace's perspective as it mirrored her own pain that made her run away from San Fransokyo, away from the actions of her father… and away from her father, himself. Hiro looked on, realizing that Professor Granville was referring to her leaving SFIT after Obake… or rather Bob Aken, was gravely injured by the energy amplifier project and the guilt that remained with her even now.

Monitoring Hiro's emotional state by scanning his neurotransmitter levels, Baymax waddled towards his human companion. "/Hiro. You are displaying moderate symptoms of emotionally distress./," placing his large, marshmallow hand above the boy's dark, messy hair. Baymax gently patted Hiro's head twice while simultaneously saying "there, there." Snapping out of his sullen thoughts from their conversation, Hiro looked up at his friend and smiled at him, showing his appreciation.

Baymax raised one hand, pointing one finger upwards while informing them, "/Traumatic events in life can bring up feelings of emotional pain. It is important to connect with friends and loved ones for comfort./" Professor Granville and Abigail looked towards the healthcare companion, a smile returning on their faces. The emotional atmosphere shifting back to lightheartedness, thanks to the disarmingly calming intervention by the marshmallow robot.

"But…Auntie Grace, it's so great to see you again. It really has been too long," Abigail smiling back to Granville, appreciating the moment. "I am just glad to have you back, thanks to a certain hero of course," Granville's eyes shifted to Hiro, who was rubbing the back of his head and averting his gaze. Abigail's eyes widened and looked towards Hiro, chuckling, "She knows about your… 'part time job?'"

"Yeah, not voluntarily of course… just can't get much by Professor Granville even when we try…," Hiro responded, embarrassedly with a hint of playful annoyance. "Yes, if only Mr. Hamada would put the same amount of dedication to his studies like he does with his… 'part time job'… but this city seems to keep him especially busy," Professor Granville quipped.

"But Mr. Hamada... I apologize for being so... dictating in your affairs or telling you how to 'superhero.' Had I not been so... me, you all wouldn't have gotten captured by Momokase. But I sincerely hope that you will still call on me to help should you ever need it," Granville apologized, hoping she could still be of help to her protégé's risky endeavors.

"We knew you meant well, Professor Granville. We still appreciate your help, you still helped us identify her potential targets. I know we'll probably need your help sometime in the future," Hiro waved his hands in front of him, attempting to reassure his professor that she didn't have to apologize anymore for that.

"Besides... never thought I would see you go up against Momokase by yourself, it was pretty cool. And you helped put Baymax back together in time to help us escape," Hiro recalled, referring to Momokase's food storage that was, according to Fred, an "im'pantry'able" prison cell. "And... I heard you looked down." The boy joked, grinning at his professor at hearing Baymax's audio recording of her frantic first flight.

Professor Granville's eyes widened with slight embarrassment but returned to stern composure, "Yes, well I don't think I am cut out for your... extracurricular activities." She shuddered at the thought of flying so high over San Fransokyo atop of Baymax, the terrifying heights that separated her from the ground. "But if you guys ever need my help, please don't hesitate to DM me."

Both Hiro and Abigail looked at each other, somewhat weirded out and comically amused by Professor Granville's use of modern vernacular. But Hiro appreciated her offer of support, knowing he could very well need it in the future. He nodded to her, "Thank you, Professor Granville."

Turning towards Abigail, Granville quickly wondered, "But I have to ask, what brings you back to San Fransokyo, Abby? Last I heard, you dove back into your work overseas as a test pilot."

Still looking towards the boy, Abigail smiled as she said, "Well, I wanted to meet the 'man' behind the legend. The hero, himself. My guardian angel. My-" Hiro interrupted, shooting her a wide uncomfortable smile, his face reddening and visibly embarrassed at her choice of words. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ok, I think she gets it, Abigail," he laughed embarrassedly.

"Increased blood flow to your cheeks indicates embarrassment-" Baymax pointed out but again interrupted by Hiro's panicked attempts at shushing the robot. "Uh, that's ok Baymax you don't have to explain that!" he interjected. Of course, Abigail meant nothing but only to tease the boy again and continued to be amused by how easily flustered her rescuer could get.

"I… really wanted to thank him for what he did for me. Baymax too, of course. But I am glad to get to know him and asked him to help me with a certain… special project." Her eyes lowered and the tone of her voice became somewhat melancholic, "To be honest, when I saw the reports of San Fransokyo nearly experiencing another great catastrophe… I realized I was afraid to lose opportunities, like seeing you again. Or the chance to meet Hiro and Baymax. Or even see my father."

Suddenly, her voice returned to her normal confident tone, "And that is actually why we are here… We need your expertise, to help work on this project and… help convince my father to get on board with it. You would be able to. You've worked with him, he trusted you as a close friend and colleague."

Hiro looked away, still not pleased with the prospect of working with Professor Callaghan and the inevitable pain it will bring up. But it was his proposed solution, the only possible angle that he could think of. They needed Professor Callaghan and gaining the support of Professor Granville could help get him to consider it. Abigail continued, "I just feel that I have to make things right and help mend these wounds… so we can all heal. And I have to do it alongside Hiro… for him and his family…"

Hiro looked back to Abigail. He recognized that she is still in anguish and seeking atonement for her father's actions, that she still feels somehow responsible being the one to volunteer for the failed project that took her away. She was blaming herself that so much grief was caused by her disappearance.

But Hiro could never blame her for the part she played in that mess. Getting stranded in that world of purple cloud fractals, alone in that void. She had no control over that. He was getting to know her but they were becoming closer already. He appreciated where her heart was at and what she wanted to do for him… and Tadashi. She was determined with sheer conviction, and Hiro would help in this mission to retrieve Tadashi's Baymax. Perhaps then, will she be able to heal from all of this.

Professor Granville could sense the sincerity of Abigail's words, but to what were they trying to get Robert's help in? What would require her help in the project? Let alone, to get her former colleague to support it? Even more so, what could possibly convince Hiro that he should work alongside the person who caused him so much grief? Exceedingly curious, she questioned Abigail, "Tell me, Abby. What does this 'special project' entail?"

With a confident smile, she said with utmost conviction behind her voice, "We're going to send me back to the 'other side' to retrieve the lost Baymax." Granville's eyes widened but quickly narrowed, she transitioned quickly from being surprised to being stern and strictly protective. "Abigail! Are you insane?! Why would I help you put yourself at risk again? Let alone, convince your father, of all people! You could be lost to us again or worse… And I already… I already went to your funeral once, Abby. I can't again."

Her tone was decidedly more severe, critical and stern, a tone that Hiro was more familiar with. It was the very same one, seemingly angry but concerned, that pleaded he not pursue the energy amplifier project. But he understood that she was coming from a place of concern, trying to prevent another tragic loss. And by Abigail's unwavering stance and a warm smile still remaining on her face, Abigail knew that she was only reacting out of care for her well-being.

To his surprise, Hiro noted that she had not been phased by Professor Granville's suddenly severe reaction. "Auntie Grace, I appreciate your concern. But this means everything to me, I am here to make amends to Hiro and his aunt, to Baymax and to Tadashi. Perhaps even, help to atone for my father's actions. They lost Baymax to save me, I refuse to allow a part of Tadashi's legacy continue to drift in that heartless void. Tadashi was a friend… a brother, almost. I have to be the one to get Baymax, Tadashi deserves no less from me," she spoke with heartfelt strength and tenacity, Hiro and Professor Granville looked to her in silence, but her words carried undeniable strength that seemingly echoed within them.

Granville looked down, pausing to give it thought. She then began to laugh softly to herself, much to the surprise of both Hiro and Abigail. "You are just like her, you know? You have your mother's stubbornness, you two always had to be so head strong. It is apparent that I cannot convince you otherwise, Abby. I can understand why you want to do this…"

But now, Professor Granville looked to her young protégé with caring concern. "Mr. Hamada…" she paused, "Hiro…" Hiro looked to his mentor, taking note that she only referred to him by his first name when she was trying to level with him. "Hiro… you're okay with this?" He knew that she was implying the involvement of Professor Callaghan. She was concerned for the boy, the traumatic feelings it could elicit from him.

Hiro sighed, understanding her concern and recognizing that this was an odd situation, "I am, Professor Granville. I am not pleased with it, sure. But I was the one to propose involving Professor Callaghan, it's our only angle. There is no one else nor any documented knowledge to go off of. Only he has the technical knowledge to rebuild Silent Sparrow, just as he did once..."

Not completely satisfied, Professor Granville continued, "And I take it that you and Baymax will be… crossing over to that place with Abby?" She had already lost one protégé, she could not bear the thought of losing Hiro whom she has actually became increasingly fond of. Similarly, Abigail looked to Hiro with concern, not yet knowing how much Hiro was willing to involve himself in this undertaking. She had honestly wished that the boy would provide his technical support for the project, use his big brain to ensure it would be successful. Honestly, she did not want him to risk himself once again once the project was being executed.

She wanted to protect him, the thought of another Hamada brother being lost to the world was unbearable. But she had come to know the boy, he wasn't one to let others risk themselves without his help. He risks his own life almost daily, she knew that this would not be any different for him. After all, he risked his life for her, the daughter of the man who hurt him deeply. As he would never be able to convince her not to attempt this, she knew that the boy would not budge, either.

Hiro smiled warmly, trying to reassure his professor, "Yes, Professor Granville. I can't let her go at it alone, I have to help. And besides, someone has to look after this rebellious one out there." The boy snidely pointed his thumb in Abigail's direction, smirking. "/And I will be looking after you both,/" the healthcare companion said reassuringly, of which there was no doubt. Professor Granville closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, a smile returning to her face. "Rebellious ones, indeed," she remarked, referring to the two in front of her.

"But I have my concerns for such a project. Please, give me some time to consider it," Professor Granville informed them, but the two were delighted that she would at least consider helping them. "But even if I do consent to helping you, Abby. A lot of time and things have come to pass between your father and I. We are not so close anymore. And you know his answer. After losing your mother, you became everything he had left. It would take a lot for him to even consider risking your life, again. Why do you think I can change his mind?"

Abigail seemed to have accounted for all the barriers they would face in speaking with Professor Granville on the project. She still remained confident, and softened her voice, "Through the years I had wondered why you left SFIT, Auntie Grace. I'm sorry, I came to learn that it was after an accident occurred, involving your pupil… But I can understand why you have changed from it." Abigail paused for a moment, "Hiro told me how you are now, that you firmly believe in having limits. You are calm, calculated and accept nothing but a near-zero margin of error. I came to you for your technical expertise, but also for your firm beliefs in having limitations, implementing controls and reducing risks to their lowest probability. With you, we can drastically minimize any chances of another catastrophic failure. Should we experience anything beyond your own set operational parameters, beyond an acceptable level of risk… We can count on you to reign us in and halt the project. You will be the failsafe that can help reassure my father that this will be successful. My father… he trusted in you and I know that having you on board will help him to even consider helping us."

Grace nodded, chuckling warmly, "I see that you are still that smart little girl, always scheming and planning mischief. That could work… I will need some time to process all of this. To make a decision if I will indeed help you. And also, if I do consent to support your project, how I would approach your father." Hiro smiled, remembering that Abigail was a bot-fighter when she was younger. Like him, she must have gotten into a lot of trouble, too. Abigail closed their distance quickly, hugging her Aunt Grace lovingly with gratitude. "I understand, take the time you need. But thank you for considering it, Auntie Grace."

"Abby… of course. It really is great to see you again. To see the strong woman you have become. I know your mother would be proud of you," Granville hugged her back warmly. For a time, Grace never thought she would ever get the chance to see Abigail again. Then Abigail softly released and walked back to Hiro and Baymax, "Thank you, Aunt Grace. We will let you have your time to think, but really. Thank you. I am glad I got to see you again." Hiro and Baymax waved at the professor, bidding farewell. Granville yelled across to them, "I will think on it. But again, if there is anything else I can help with, don't hesitate to 'DM' me." They both chuckled as they moved towards the door, Hiro laughed, "Okay, thanks Professor Granville!"

As her young protégé and her all grown-up "niece" walked out of her office, Grace gave them a warm smile and chuckled to herself, "If you could see your daughter now, Gale. She's grown to be so strong, like you… But, Robert…" The head professor walked up to her window, staring out towards the open campus of SFIT set within the scenic Golden Gyoen Park. Her eyes scanned listlessly, deep in thought. She had to process this her own way. She walked towards a gym bag within an office drawer, pulling out her running shoes.

* * *

Along the lush green fields and the trails of Golden Gyoen Park, Granville kept a steady stride as she ran through the familiar paths she had frequented for years. Her breathing was steady, her eyes gazing forward. She had been an avid runner throughout her life, it was something that helped her in her most emotional moments. Of course, this was also why she was capable of maneuvering and dodging even someone of the likes of Momokase. But this time, she ran to process her mind and revisit memories long since behind her.

It was a tremendous relief and pleasure to see her little Abby again. But she could not help but think about her 'funeral.' When she truly thought that she was gone. At the time, Grace could not bear to even think that the little girl she had once known was gone in a terrible accident, sharing a similar fate to her own mother. Although she was still in her self-imposed retirement from SFIT, she did still share a professional and personal bond of friendship with her colleague, Robert Callaghan. It was natural for her to visit her old friend, to attempt to console him on his unimaginable loss. Between them, they had constantly come to each other to console each other at the most traumatic moments of their lives.

Grace had known him for quite some time during their mutual tenure at the college. They had both regarded each other as excellent teachers in their trades, sharing the same passion to better the world. They both had seen the development of technology and the mentoring of young brilliant minds as a way to improve the future. But, admittedly, their approaches did vary. Grace's passion was coupled with an unfettered philosophy that geniuses should be given the utmost freedom to create with every possible resource afforded to them. Unfortunately, it was her unrestrained pursuit of this altruistic passion that inadvertently led to Bob Aken's accident. She had learned too late, with a personal cost too great, that the chaotic passion of creative freedom must be guided by the structured discipline of limitations.

She had left the college and the profession she had loved out of sheer remorse for not protecting her protégé from the dangers he pursued. She had covered for the boy, but she could not bear to remain there. While the matter would not be pursued further, Robert was concerned over the well-being of his former colleague. Her resignation had affected Professor Callaghan, feeling that the school had lost someone so pivotal in its mission to mentor young brilliant minds. But truthfully, he was saddened to lose his colleague there and feared he would lose his friend to the grief that made her run away from it all.

Grace recalled that, in her deepest moments of remorse and guilt, Robert had come to visit her. She regretted it, but she could not bring herself to even tell him the truth surrounding her protégé's accident, his risky pursuit of developing the energy amplifier. That it was his pursuit, unrestrained by Grace giving him full reign of her lab, that led to the boy nearly dying. She could not even bring herself to see the boy, herself. Only allowing herself the solace of knowing that he at least survived the ordeal.

Robert was a brilliant man, but more than that, he was Grace's friend. It didn't take much for him to surmise that she felt responsible for what happened to the young genius, Bob Aken. He did not know the true circumstances to the incident, but he didn't need to. Robert had attempted to console her, but he did not press into the matter to learn what happened. He was only concerned for his friend.

But truthfully, the incident had put Granville in a deep state of depression, and she became increasingly reclusive. With time, Professor Callaghan was only able to see her sparingly. However, during those times, his wife Gale and the young Abigail would come to visit along with him, and it would help bring the spark of life back to Granville steadily. But she had changed, her demeanor became sterner as she regained her sense of self and purpose. But she remained grateful to the Callaghan family for their kindness and support.

But for her friend, Robert… it had seemed that tragedy would strike him time and time again. Taking away the two things that mattered to him the most, even above his passions as a professor and mentor: his wife, Gale, and his daughter, Abigail. Grace had attempted to console him as she mourned for them too, but each time he lost someone she saw that he did not change overtly. And this was perhaps the most concerning part. No one goes through that and does not walk away unaffected. It was how Robert coped each traumatic loss, that concerned her so.

At Abigail's "funeral" and thereafter, Grace was able to catch her old friend in a private moment. It was there that he had confided in Grace the truth. Although she only briefly heard about the true nature of Abigail's disappearance, it pained her to see what the man was holding in. The catastrophic failure that took away Abigail, hauntingly similar to how a catastrophic failure had taken Gale away from him. But it was the one brief moment that Robert had seemingly shared his thoughts honestly with anyone. He was only comfortable enough to confide with her. But at the time, Grace did not sense any anger or hatred, just the emptiness of a man that lost everything he held dearest.

What disturbed and concerned Granville the most, was that Professor Callaghan, all of a sudden was "okay." He was no longer willing to confide even to his old colleague or even approach the subject of Abigail or the incident. It was as if he was shutting himself away at his work at SFIT, all in an effort to drown out the truth of what he had lost and longed for. After a while, Grace found it hard to even approach him, knowing that he was keeping it all within and made every effort to appear "normal" even to her. Unbeknownst to her, it was as if he was dying from the inside and what was growing in his stead was a festering sense of grief and hatred.

Granville could no longer process the sequence of events to follow. When she had heard that Robert had perished along with his protégé in a tragic fire, she felt it was as if fate was taunting her cruelly. Robert would lose his protégé just as she did, but far worse that the student did not come out of it alive. And that young man would be the bright and promising older brother of her current protégé, Hiro. But what had affected her the most, was that she lost her friend to another apparent accident. It made her number, it made her steel herself and even less expressive or willing to become invested in anyone as she did with Bob Aken or the Callaghan's.

It was only her recent mentorship and interest in guiding the young genius, Hiro, that she even began to allow herself to become attached again. Robert and Abigail's "deaths" further reinforced her belief that limitations and controls must be in place, so that mishaps would not occur… lest they harm or take lives away. At the time, she felt that she needed to take her friend's place at SFIT as the head professor, to continue his work. Although it was painful to return, she felt that she wanted to honor his memory and continue their passion for shaping the world alongside their students.

But life is bizarre. Even to this day, she has yet to truly process that not only is her old friend alive, but that he set in motion the events that led to his own protégé's death. She was finding it difficult to believe that a good man like him, would be willing to harm his own students and seek to take another's life. His grief had changed him to someone unrecognizable. To Grace, the "real" Robert Callaghan died along with the "death" of his daughter, Abigail. It is why she has not even brought herself to see him now, it hurt her to think of what he had become. That was not the Robert she remembered, that was not Gale's husband or Abigail's father. He had become a man consumed with the hatred that filled the empty void, the emptiness that came from longing what he had lost.

Perhaps she was numbing herself further from the possible truth, afraid of the possibility that the old Robert Callaghan came back along with Abigail's return. If this were the case, she would not want to think about the level of anguish he must be in now. Wracked with guilt over the lives he harmed in the wake of his pursuit for retribution. But for too long, she has not been able to approach him and now so much has transpired since he last actually spoke to her honestly. She wondered if she could even reconnect with her old friend.

Granville then realized she had been breathing heavier and running at a faster pace, almost as if her body was trying to process her stress with increasing physical intensity. She began slowing down to calm herself down. It was painful revisiting those memories and thinking about what had become of her friend. But perhaps Abigail was right, perhaps this project could be the catalyst that will begin the healing process for the many who were affected by the Silent Sparrow accident.

* * *

**Author's Note: I enjoy writing this chapter, it had been written even before the recent chapters but when I revisited it to fully publish it, I felt that it needed expanding. And thankfully, it gave me the opportunity to flesh out a backstory on the history and friendship between Granville and Callaghan. How each of their traumas were perceived and how it shaped them to their current personalities. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Rival Vectors

**Author's Note: Not sure if I will be able to maintain the same tempo bringing these out as much as I'd like, personal family issues going on. But, I'm still going to try to put them out and I'm usually brainstorming on it anyways when I get the chance. Abigail is a fun character for me to write, actually wish she would appear in the actual series. **

**But I really hope you guys are enjoying this series, thanks for the read and please leave a review if there is anything you'd like me to improve, what you liked or where you'd like this series to go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 10: Rival Vectors**

After their meeting with Professor Granville, Hiro, Abigail and Baymax were walking through the hall to head in the direction of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. Excited for Abigail to meet his friends, the young boy walked backwards as he talked to Abigail, "C'mon, I bet it will be nostalgic for you to see the robotics lab again. You can meet the-" Around the corner of an adjacent hall, another young prodigy bumped into the boy as she turned the corner. Her stack of books in her hands crashing to the floor.

"Oh, sorry!" Hiro exclaimed apologetically, turning around to immediately recognize the familiar brown-haired young girl with olive tan skin and her distinct cream-colored turtleneck sweater. "Hiro! Watch where you're going!" Karmi yelled as she knelt down to get her books. "Oh, now I'm not so sorry anymore," Hiro muttered as his apologetic expression instantly switched to one of annoyance. Despite his reaction, the young boy still knelt down to help pick up some of her books. Karmi quickly snatched them from his hands.

"/Yes, Hiro. It is advisable to look where you are walking to avoid hazards or accidents,/" Baymax chimed in. Scooping the last of her books near her, Karmi exclaimed snidely, "See, even your own robot agrees with me. Thank you, Baymax." The healthcare companion simply responded, "You are welcome." Hiro's face scowled with annoyance, then sharply shot back with a smug look, "Yeah, he wasn't kidding about avoiding hazards."

Karmi quickly stood up to look at Hiro, "What did you say?!" But to Karmi's surprise, besides the boy was an unfamiliar woman holding out one of her books to return it to her. Karmi looked at the young woman, quickly simmering down to calmly take the last book from the stranger. "Oh, thanks."

Abigail stood up and smiled as she looked at the two teenage college students, noting that the girl was probably not that much older than Hiro. She was impressed that another prodigy was attending SFIT. She asked Hiro playfully, "Looks like you two are quite fond of each other. Who's your friend, Hiro?"

"Friend?!" They both exclaimed simultaneously. Their obvious flustration and sudden synchronized response was comical to Abigail, who stifled her laugh but smiled at the two teenage college students. They looked at each other with visible annoyance and disdain.

"Well, either way. It's still a pleasure to meet you, I'm Abigail," Abigail confidently approached Karmi with her hand outstretched, to which Karmi briefly got startled and was taken aback. She awkwardly stared at Abigail's hand for a moment, not prepared for her sudden greeting up close. "It's good to see that SFIT is getting students who are younger and younger. Certainly weren't any teenage prodigies back when I attended."

Karmi was pleasantly surprised to hear the professional-looking woman being an alumnus of SFIT. Feeling a bit more comfortable at this, she placed her books down in a neat stack and stepped forward to meet Abigail's extended hand. She shook Abigail's hand sheepishly, "I'm Karmi, nice to meet you too."

Suddenly, Hiro interrupted their introduction, "Yeah… well, Karmi _used_ to be the youngest student attending SFIT." His face was smug, crossing his arms as he snidely emphasized the word, "used to." Karmi's formal expression to Abigail quickly transitioned to one of annoyance as she looked at her younger classmate. "Well, at least I don't have to run around getting cappuccinos, picking up dry-cleaning and carrying large costumes for "who-knows-why" at my internship," the young student shot back at the boy.

"Well, if you must know. I do have a lab of my own at Krei Tech Industries and Mr. Krei gives me every resource I could possibly-," Hiro looked at her smirking, an annoyed competitiveness in his tone until he was cut off by Karmi. "Well, I don't have to know, so don't care." The young boy got flustered and visibly frustrated at her dismissal. During this whole interaction, Abigail was stifling herself from laughing out loud at Hiro's reactions to the young girl. Karmi continued snidely, "But I will have you know that Liv gave me my personalized lab already, it was _far_ larger than the one you saw."

"Okay, okay, you two. Let's play nice," Abigail decided to step in. But she was interested in getting to know what was Karmi's story being here at SFIT at such a young age like Hiro. She noted that she must have bright potential to be here at her age and surprised at her mentioning a rather high-profile name. "Karmi, you mentioned you work with Liv, as in Liv Amara?" Abigail inquired of the young girl. Hiro scoffed and stepped away, pulling out his phone and pressing away at it to look like he didn't care for their conversation anymore.

Karmi was delighted at her sudden interest and the opportunity to talk about her work, "Yes. _The_ Liv Amara, the CEO of Sycorax. She gave me an internship there and mentors me directly." Abigail whistled musically in amusement, impressed solely from her involvement with Ms. Amara, whose successful reputation surrounds her work. "Very impressive, then I take it you are a Biotech major?" Karmi nodded, a smile on her face at her recognition of this feat.

"Hmm. An old colleague of mine was a Biotech major when we were here. He's not in the private sector anymore in companies like Sycorax though. He currently works with the defense department on special projects for SDARPA (Self Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Not my area of expertise, but in my circles, you meet folks who spearhead pioneering projects in their respective fields." Karmi smiled, noticing that Abigail did seem to have a vested interest and respect for the field of biotechnology unlike other current students here. Not to mention, Karmi was aware that SDARPA projects in biotechnology are constantly fast growing with massive funding. She was excited to hear more.

"That's impressive! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of projects does he work on?" Karmi exclaimed, obviously excited to talk to someone about her field. "Hmm. Let's see, what is an unclassified project he told me about… Oh yes! Forgive me if I am not explaining it like he did… but he was working on a research program to enhance host tolerance against known and unknown pathogens." Abigail explained, pausing to remember what her colleague had told her. "His work mostly involved identifying biological mechanisms of tolerance, making it possible for the military and counter-bioterrorism agencies to be more capable of weathering infectious diseases."

"That is so cool! I can see how approaching in that way could bolster human tolerance in an emerging disaster or sudden epidemic, especially if there isn't any priori knowledge of an emerging pathogen!" Karmi exclaimed, trying to hold back her excitement since her voice was echoing throughout the halls. "Hmm. I believe that's almost exactly what he said about it too," Abigail smiled, impressed with the young girl's level of insight. "Well, actually I've been working on a similar issue but from the opposite side of the spectrum. I've been experimenting with viral vectors to reprogram the DNA sequencing of harmful pathogens to render them harmless to the human body, even with adaptive drug-resistant organisms! If you can't bolster tolerance, then we can at least reprogram pathogens to be harmless or even beneficial!" the young girl was so giddy to be able to explain her current projects. "/You should breathe,/" Baymax chimed in, prompting Karmi to catch her breath.

Abigail smiled, knowing that the girl had great potential for her field, "Well, if you ever want to move out of the private sector, after SFIT and Sycorax. Contact me, I can get you in touch with him and his program team. He's always happy to take young, passionate up and coming researchers. Wouldn't be surprised if you helped them make great strides in their biotech projects, not to mention that you would be working on special projects that perhaps even Sycorax is not focused on. Their work affects global health and improves lives in rather challenging areas. Only if you'd want to, but please consider it." Abigail sifted through the inside pocket of her small purse, pulling out her personal business card and handing it to Karmi, whose eyes were sparkling with gratitude. Hiro gasped in shock and promptly frowned at Abigail, looking at her like she was being traitorous for aiding his rival.

"Thank you so much, I will definitely think about it for the future," Karmi smiled genuinely, initially positioning herself awkwardly to offer a handshake. Abigail promptly returned the gesture, and Karmi reminded herself to be confident like Abigail. She was not usually ever able to approach social interactions comfortably, but she felt oddly comfortable and perhaps even inspired by the woman she just met. She noticed that Abigail had a self-assured and confident demeanor that reminded her of the qualities she also admires about Liv.

"Of course, I enjoy helping young minds who will shape the future," Abigail smiled warmly. She quickly turned to Hiro with a playfully conniving expression and a scheming smile, the boy was already scowling at her for their amicable interaction together. Abigail returned to face Karmi, "Say… you wouldn't happen to be the same Karmi as in 'KHeartsQT?'" Immediately, Hiro narrowed his eyes at Abigail, sighing, "Oh no." Baymax looked to the young boy, almost as if he was surprised that he used Baymax's distinct response. Almost louder than she had been about their biotech conversation, Karmi suddenly leaped up and put her hands on her face in astonishment, "Yes! Oh my! You've read my Big Hero 6 fan-fiction! How do you like it?!" Hiro was still audibly sighing, inching himself away from the two ladies.

"Are you kidding me? I love it! I did my best to keep up with them when I was overseas! But, I have to ask… did you really meet Captain Cutie? What was it like?!" Abigail responded enthusiastically, attempting to emulate Karmi's fangirl energy. "Would you believe me if I said he really did heroically and romantically save me from the crazy knife lady on Akuma Island?! Oh! And! He knows my name! And I even got to hug him, and he told me I saved the day once!" Karmi squealed, her face becoming flushed but still maintaining her day-dreamy, fangirl energy to Abigail's amusement. Abigail was attempting to control herself, looking towards Hiro with a smug face. "That's so romantic! No way! You guys hugged? Wow! You don't say…" Abigail exclaimed with exaggerated surprise as she smiled at the flushed Hiro, who promptly put his blue hood over himself in embarrassment.

"Ugh, yeah…I'm going to… go grab some snacks…" Hiro muttered to himself, his hood covering his face as he turned away and reaching to grab Baymax to come with him. Abigail watched as the boy hid his flustered face, walking off to a vending machine to get gummy bears. "He just doesn't understand quality storytelling," Karmi laughed triumphantly, sticking her tongue out towards the boy.

"You guys have quite the rivalry going on," Abigail noted to Karmi. "Yeah, well it's his fault he's so annoying. He's always, 'Hey look at me, I'm a fourteen-year-old boy genius.' We get it, you're smart… and tiny," Karmi exclaimed in annoyance. But then she had to wonder, "No offense to you, but why are you hanging around a loser like that kid?"

Abigail smiled, looking towards the boy who was now distracting himself eating gummy bears. "I guess you can say that I owe a debt of gratitude to Hiro and his family. But to be honest, he's good company. I've come to see him more like a kid brother... a snarky, wise-cracking one but still I enjoy hanging out with him," Abigail admitted, much to Karmi's surprise.

"Ugh, how can you enjoy hanging out with him, doesn't he get on your nerves?" Karmi exclaimed, confused on why someone like Abigail would enjoy being around her rival. "Not at all. He's actually a good kid. He may annoy you or challenge you, but I hope you'll get to actually be friends with each other. You'd be surprised how time can change things," Abigail said, much to Karmi's dismay, seemingly visibly disgusted at the thought they could be actual friends. Everyone like Professor Granville seems to want her to be friends with the boy. But Karmi, in such a short time, already respected Abigail enough to hear her out.

Abigail continued, "For example! My colleague at SDARPA? He and I used to hate each other's guts and were quite the heated rivals constantly challenging each other here at SFIT. He was always so keen to make it known of what he had accomplished, especially when he earned his PhD in biotechnology research faster than anyone else in his field. He would emphasize that he wanted to be referred to as 'Dr. Aiden Matsuda,' even when we were just casually dining out."

Abigail paused and rolled her eyes at merely saying his name, hints of a rivalry that continues. But Karmi's eyes widened with surprise upon hearing the name, in her field he was considered a pioneer despite being relatively younger than most established researchers. "Wait, so you were rivals with the Dr. Matsuda?! As in THE Dr. Matsuda, the young head researcher who pioneered adaptive synthetic biomanufacturing engineering?!"

Abigail sighed exhaustively but she was glad that this might really make Karmi consider working with her colleague after she graduates SFIT and finishes her Sycorax internship. "Yeah, people give that reaction all the time... But honestly, he has earned the recognition he's got. Insufferable as he can be at times, he's a good person. In time we've learned...well sort of... to recognize that we excel at our own fields and respect each other's passions."

Abigail chuckled at the thought of her memories, "We actually became very close friends, something we never expected. But don't get me wrong, we'll still try to one up each other somehow." Karmi smiled, appreciating how honest Abigail was.

"All I'm saying is it may take time, but I have a feeling you and Hiro won't be too far off from us. Just like Aiden and I, you and Hiro appear to be similar in more ways than you'd like to admit. He can be snarky and cocky at times, but beyond his intellect he is a nice guy," Abigail explained, chuckling at Karmi's repulsive reaction to her implying they could be friends.

"But if all else, remember that even though he's a young boy genius, that doesn't change the fact that you are a young biotech prodigy in your own right with a bright future. A friendly rivalry that challenges you to be better is far more rewarding than a hostile one, trust me," Abigail advised, she wanted to reassure the young student to be more secure about herself and her accomplishments.

"Oh, but just to throw it out there. He's only a head researcher in SDARPA now, because I hooked him up with the right people in defense biotech research due to my connections with other government agencies. The grant funding and resources he has now definitely gives him more creative freedom than he had in the private sector that required constant investments," Abigail pointed out with pride, implying that her rival wouldn't have gotten as far as he had without her.

Karmi laughed along with Abigail. Although she couldn't truly see things with her rival the same way Abigail advised, she did respect the woman's insight and willingness to support Karmi's development, even after just meeting each other. "Thank you, Ms. Abigail. I will... definitely consider everything you've said."

"Please Karmi, you can call me Abby," she told her warmly. "Oh, okay... umm... thanks Ms. Abby," Karmi fumbled as she attempted to address her more personally, but Karmi hasn't had anyone she could personally call by their nickname. Abigail had already noted that the young girl was not as socially developed and insecure around social interactions, a trait that seems to be a price for having unbridled intellect far beyond your peers.

"Geez, you're just like Hiro," Abigail laughed at their shared awkwardness and unwillingness to even call her "Abby." Karmi got immediately flustered, "I am not like that kid!" She continued to laugh playfully but was pleasantly surprised as Karmi cued herself to stand tall with some confidence in her expression.

Karmi took a deep breath, outstretching her hand towards Abigail, "Thank you for the advice... Abby. I enjoyed our conversation, I hope that we can chat again." Aside from Liv, Karmi never really felt comfortable around most people but Abigail seemed like a pleasant exception.

Of course, Abigail still noticed that Karmi was forcing herself to try to be comfortable. But she was oddly proud of her, she surmised that if the young girl was like Hiro, she needed some social guidance and encouragement. Although Hiro could be awkward at times, Abigail knew that he was more sociable thanks to having Tadashi and the Big Hero 6 crew. Oddly enough, Abigail felt that she could help this young biotech prodigy to warm up as well.

"You are just adorable! Of course, Karmi, I would like that very much!" Abigail forewent Karmi's gesture to handshake, bypassing it to give her a sudden hug. Karmi's body stiffened with visible awkwardness to Abigail's amusement. Karmi laughed uneasily, not knowing what to do so she timidly patted Abigail in the back a few times, "Oh, great! Well... I have to get back to the biolab so..."

Abigail laughed as she released young girl, "I see you're not a hugger! Well, I'll leave you to it." Karmi just laughed nervously, as Abigail smiled and reached her hand out seriously this time. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Karmi. I would love to chat more with you sometime. About anything you'd like to, from biotech, your fan-fiction, Captain Cutie, a certain young boy genius…"

Karmi laughed but met Abigail's handshake notably more warmly. "Thank you... Abby. I'd like that too. Well, I'll be off now!" Abigail watched as the young girl picked up her neatly stacked books on the floor and walked off in the direction of the campus biolab. Abigail turned to see Hiro sitting at a table glaring at her with narrowed, unamused eyes, still eating gummy bears. She could see three other empty bags of gummy bears, realizing the boy must've gone through them in his flustered frustration for the whole duration of their conversation. Abigail walked towards him, putting her hands up in a feigned attempt to calm the boy.

"Wow. That's quite the expression you're giving me. And I thought the whole stress-eating was just an Aunt Cass thing?" Abigail laughed playfully, reaching to grab one of the young boy's gummy bears. He playfully snatched the bag back away from her, "Well, that's the expression you give when your friend aids the 'enemy.' And it's not the same! It's 'stress snacking…' because of you." He paused to reach for another gummy bear, keeping it away from Abigail and putting one in his mouth chewing emphatically. "Just glad you're done talking to your 'BFF.'"

"Well, she might be your 'BFF' someday…" Abigail smirked, Hiro bursting out with indignation. "What?! Why would I ever be 'BFF's' with her, she is just the worst! What were you guys even talking about for you to even think that?!" She laughed at his over-the-top reaction, "Let's just say I think you guys will get close someday, you guys have way too many similarities and that's probably why you think she's insufferable and she does you. But a close friend of mine had the same rivalry with me. It's more on friendlier terms now and we mutually challenge each other to improve, but not that we feel the need to really compare ourselves like before."

"Yeah, that's probably not going to happen," the young boy dismissed it immediately, shuddering as if the thought of actually being friends with Karmi was disturbing. "Well, you never know. She seems like a good person at heart, maybe a little rough around the edges but same can be said for you and me. Give her a chance, she might grow on you," Abigail advised, the boy sighed seeing what she was trying to do for him and Karmi. He pulled his hood back. "You're like Granville, you know that? You're not going to give up on this, are you?" he muttered in annoyance. Abigail simply responded gleefully, "Nope."

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**Author's Note: Well! I wasn't sure about even putting Karmi in this series but then realized I had the opportunity to try to expand her character a bit more. I'm most likely not going to enter the realm of HiroxKarmi shipping, I think it helps keep my story a bit more plausible to the canon since they haven't overtly done so. But, I rather set them more on course towards being civil and friendly with each other as a beneficial friendly rivalry.**

**Plus, I can't do them justice like Arctimon's work or my favorite fanfic, the "Could Be More" series by Crystalmoon101. Please check out their work if you haven't already!**

**With that being said, the aforementioned fanfics helped me appreciate Karmi's potential as a character more. And she will probably get more characterization. And she will have to face the inevitable fallout with Liv Amara in the actual series, so I wanted to give her a possible future career pathway and even a role model in Abigail as a strong female figure as a supportive buffer to prepare for things to come after that whole Liv Amara reveal goes down. **


	11. Assistance with Little Resistance

**Author's Note: Sorry this one took a while to get together, had a recent death in the family and it's been a bit hard to write. But been wanting to move this forward again. I hope you enjoy, thank you for the read!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 11: Assistance with Little Resistance**

Walking through the open plaza of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology campus, Hiro, Abigail and their personal healthcare companion were nearing the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. Abigail smiled, feeling nostalgic to see the building again. It was a very familiar, almost home- like setting for the both of them, but it had been some time since she had last visited it.

Hiro spun around to face Abigail, continuing to walk backwards towards the robotics lab building and pointing back at it with his thumb, "Well, how about I introduce you to people who are _actually_ fun to be around?" Hiro was still comically displeased with Abigail meeting Karmi and befriending her, let alone her helping his precocious rival.

Abigail rolled her eyes at the young boy, smiling at his insistence that she not interact with Karmi or that she stops pushing for the two child prodigies to be actual friends. "Still a little upset about your 'BFF' I see. Well, I will say that I am definitely looking forward to meeting yours and Tadashi's close friends," she admitted, following the young prodigy up the steps to the main entrance. His face becoming amused at her calling Karmi his "BFF."

As they approached the building, Abigail admitted that she was not certain how she would feel meeting his friends, her father's former students. But she certainly felt she owed them a debt of gratitude for doing all that they could to stop her father from doing something that he might never have been able to return from, intentionally taking another life out of hatred and grief. Not only did they save Alistair's life, but they prevented her father from going down a path that may never be redeemable. They stopped him from allowing him to sink deeper and become someone else entirely.

They walked through the main hall of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab building, stepping into the elevator to get to their floor. Hiro sharply raised his hand up to get Abigail's attention, copy the same motion Baymax makes when he announces or informs others. "Word of warning, some of them can be… especially friendly and colorful," Hiro informed Abigail as their elevator was ascending to the right floor.

"Well, sounds like my kind of company! You already introduced me to your Aunt Cass, not sure if you can get more friendly and colorful than that?" Abigail mused, laughing at the boy's friendly "public safety announcement." Hiro laughed, "Yeah that's true, but could still be a bit overwhelming when you meet them all at once I'm sure. So, I hope you're ready."

Exiting the elevator together, they moved towards the door leading to the main open lab that his friends often used or simply spent time together in to decompress in between classes. As they opened the door, suddenly a white ping pong ball zoomed towards them. "Heads up!" a sharp, female voice rang out. Hiro quickly ducked under to narrowly dodge the incoming ball speeding towards him. However, Abigail casually reacted with speed and accuracy, catching the ball calmly in her hand.

"Whoah, nice catch!" yelled a shaggy looking young man, who was sprawled along the floor as if he had just dived sideways towards the ground. It was apparent that the unkempt young man attempted to dive dramatically to hit the ping pong ball. Based on the speed it was incoming, it was also apparent that it was spiked by the short-statured young woman, who was standing casually on the other side of the table triumphantly.

Gogo walked past the ping pong table and casually by Fred, looking down at him, "You going to greet our guest from down there?" At this point, Fred hopped up quickly, "Oh, right. Excuse me. Where are my manners?" The lean young man quickly closed the distance with Abigail, who was surprised at his sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"Bonjour, señorita! That's French for 'My name is Fred, nice to meet you!'" Fred bowed his head, bending at the waist as if he was greeting royalty. "Yeah, it was a nice try at least, Fred," Gogo remarked sardonically, noting that he had spoken two words from two different languages and mistranslated them at that. Abigail smiled, replying promptly, "_Bonjour! Je m'appelle Abigail, je suis très heureuse de faire votre connaissance._" (_Rough French Translation: I am Abigail, it's nice to meet you._)

Fred's face suddenly became shocked and confusedly blank, "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish… yet. But I'm going to guess you said 'hello.' It's a pleasure to meet-" He was suddenly interrupted as a tall, lightly tanned woman in a yellow coat hopped between them, exploding with cheerful energy as she got closer to Abigail, "Oh my gosh, you must be Abigail! Hiro told us about you. I am so glad to finally meet you!"

Honey Lemon enthusiastically grabbed Abigail's hand with two of hers, quickly yanking her down with an exaggerated handshake. Abigail's eyes widened but she immediately caught her balance and chuckled heartfully at the new acquaintance's warm and energetic greeting. "You can call me Honey Lemon!"

"Thank you! It's a pleasure to meet you too, Honey Lemon. You can call me, Abby," Abigail smiled warmly, enjoying her energy and quickly being reminded of the level of enthusiasm that she seems to share with Aunt Cass. Hiro wasn't kidding about how colorful they could be.

"Really?! We're going to be good buddies, Abby! I can just tell!" Honey Lemon exclaimed, quickly giving Abigail a hug and pleased that she was not taken aback at her gesture. Abigail looked down smiling at Hiro as she was still being embraced, "See, she gets me!" She laughed as she remarked that finally someone was comfortable enough to call her by her more personal nickname.

Abigail smiled towards Honey Lemon, "Anyone ever tell you that you're such a bright bundle of joy? Your energy is contagious!" Honey Lemon was even more spritely, "Well, it's always fun to meet new friends! Let's celebrate this moment, the day that we met." Honey Lemon leaned in towards Abigail as she pulled out her Krei Tech cell phone, extending it out with her arm to take a selfie with Abigail. They both smiled widely and Honey Lemon quickly took a liberal amount of photographs. Abigail laughed, "You are going to have to send those to me please, Honey Lemon."

"Well, told you they would be colorful, right?" Hiro stepped forward, pleased with their sudden, warm introduction to Abigail. Hiro remembered how it was to meet each of them for the first time when Tadashi took him to the lab. Although somewhat intimidating or shy-inducing, it was still very warm and pleasant nonetheless. "Yeah. No kidding! My kind of crowd I have to admit," Abigail laughed, her gaze now shifting towards the young woman standing casually besides her two new acquaintances as she chewed gum.

Gogo blew a bubble with her pink gum, promptly popping it. "You'll fit right in then," she said as she casually chewed her gum. "Just don't expect me to be a bundle of joy. Honey Lemon has enough 'joy' to cover for me." Hiro stepped in to introduce Abigail to her, "And that's Gogo." She casually nodded at Abigail, simply saying, "Hey."

Abigail smiled confidently, walking tall and proudly towards Gogo, she outstretched her hand towards her. Gogo met her hands, both noting that they were both firmly gripping each other's hands and approaching each other confidently. It was as if without even speaking, they both could sense their womanly strength that they share alike. A mutually respectful smirk was shared between them, Abigail responding in kind, "'Hey' to you too."

Suddenly, one of the entrance doors burst open. Promptly stepping in was a burly, well-built man with a dark complexion and a distinctly green sweater. But his tone and seemingly neurotic mannerisms were decidedly ironic to his strong appearance. It made for an interesting contrast that seemingly characterized Wasabi's personality.

"Fred, you really shouldn't eat pizza around my tool set. I had to clean some of my tools _five times_ before it felt the- Oh, hello there," Wasabi immediately noticed everyone huddled around the relatively new face. Waving his hand to her, he yelled across the lab, "Pardon me, I will be there in a bit."

He held his index finger in the air gesturing to ask for a moment, walking to his highly-organized tool tray to place his small precision tools back in their intended silhouetted spot. He was extremely meticulous and took a considerable amount of time placing his tools correctly. This made for an awkward pause as they all watched and waited for him to finish. Certainly, Wasabi wanted to greet Abigail right away out of courtesy, but he compulsively did not want to have his tools misplaced if he didn't return it right at that moment.

"And that's Wasabi," Hiro informed Abigail with his hand casually pointing towards the last member's direction. The young boy tip-toed towards Abigail's ear, whispering playfully, "He's kind of really a neat and clean freak. And he gets startled pretty easily. So, watch what you do. Or not, if you want to get a kick out of it..." She smiled as she noticed Wasabi use a hand sanitizer before he came up to greet her, "Yeah, kind of noticed that."

Wasabi promptly stood in front of Abigail, they both shook hands cordially, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Wasabi." Abigail smiled warmly, "Hey Wasabi, I'm glad I can meet you. I'm Abigail. But, by the way, I like how organized and precise your tool organizer is. Knew a few aerospace engineers overseas who had a similar system, never lost a piece or they'd go crazy." Abigail chuckled softly.

At that, Wasabi's face brightened up, "Thanks! Well, sounds like classy people I would get along with! And that? I got it from the 'Organized Gentleman' in downtown San Fransokyo! Thanks to it, there's a place for everything, so I make sure everything has to be in its place. Without it, I would definitely freak out all the time."

Gogo's gum blown into a bubble and abruptly popped, she chimed in, "Yeah but you freak out all the time anyways." Wasabi gasped, "No, I don't!" Everyone just looked at him with narrowed eyes, all of them knowing better. Wasabi sighed, "Okay, you got me there." They all smiled, the whole group now standing together before Abigail. Hiro enthusiastically ran to their side to introduce them as a whole, waving his arms towards them, "Looks like you met everyone. Well… this is the gang!"

Abigail smirked as she stepped back, her hand resting on her mouth as she appeared to be thinking, "Hmm. Now that I see all of you at once, I can tell you guys really are the Big Hero 6 team." She gazed at them, in her mind she was visualizing each of their superhero appearances and comparing them to their current, casual selves. All of the members looked towards each other, not entirely surprised that she would recognize them but fairly concerned what this would mean.

With the exception of Fred, who was completely incredulous, "What?! How did she know we were 'us'? There must be a shadow spy informant selling our secrets out there…" Gogo stepped forward, "Yeah, probably not. She knew Hiro's identity, not surprising she knows ours." Wasabi chimed in, poignantly pointing out, "Yeah, I figure if someone knows at least one of our real identities, then it wouldn't take much work to learn all of ours. I mean, we're always around each other and our group is six people." Fred responded matter-of-factly, "Well, technically seven when Mini-Max is with us."

Despite their banter, Abigail could tell by their expressions and their body language that they were concerned about her awareness of their identities. She placed her hands in front of her disarmingly to reassure them, "Rest assured. Just like Hiro's, all of your identities are safe with me. I have no intention of endangering your identities. I am here partly because I feel that I owe all of you a debt of gratitude. I simply wanted to thank you all for what you did for me. It's an honor to finally meet you all and finally thank you in person." There were sighs of relief heard collectively among the group, Honey Lemon speaking for them, "Well, we are just glad that you were able to return safely, Abby."

Abigail smiled warmly, she couldn't help but notice that their appearance, even their personalities, seem to line up well with what she knew of their superhero alter-egos. She noted, "Well, seeing you guys now… I'm surprised you guys could even hide your identity at all. You guys don't look too far off from your crime-fighting personas. With the exception being you, Fred. Your Kaiju suit makes you rather incognito."

Fred jumped forward, with his chest tall and his hands on his hips, he stood heroically, "That's because I am totally incognito in my 'Fredzilla mode.' It's nothing like my real body, so no one can recognize me… Oh! But sometimes I really wish it could be my real boddy! Wouldn't that be awesome?! But I would want to be able to control my transformation on and off, you know? Would be kind of weird if I was stuck as a Kaiju all the time… couldn't go order food at noodle burger anymore without scaring people…" Fred's expression showing that he was deep in thought. Even if you could not read his mind, it was easy to tell that he was daydreaming what it would be like to actually be a living Kaiju monster casually enjoying life in San Fransokyo.

The whole group simply stared weirdly at Fred, Gogo snidely commenting, "You'd be weird in any form, Fred." They all chuckled. "Actually Fred, you take your helmet off in public pretty often. If any one of us has their identity more known, it would probably be you," Wasabi aptly noted. "Well, it's a good thing he has Mini-Max to look out for you, Freddy!" Honey Lemon pleasantly pointed out. Abigail could sense from the start that they were all very close and she enjoyed the friendly atmosphere they formed in their interactions.

"But meeting you all in person, seeing how you are. Somehow, I can tell that it suits you all, to do what you do out there for San Fransokyo," Abigail spoke genuinely, she could tell that just like Hiro and Tadashi, they all wanted to help people with their skills and intellect. "As I told Hiro, I find it unfortunate that you all never get to be personally thanked by those you help. Even though the public thanks the 'Big Hero 6' you, they never get the chance to thank the real you. So Fred. Honey Lemon. Gogo. Wasabi. Thank you for all you do, and what you did for me." They all looked to each other, they were moved by her words and appreciated the gratitude she was conveying not only from herself. They never set out to be superheroes for the recognition and even if it was truly a thankless job, they would still do it because it is the right thing to do. "Thank you, Abby. That means a lot to us," Honey Lemon responded in kind for the group.

But a question still remained, how was it that she knew who Hiro was? And by extension she would learn their identities too. As usual with Gogo's straightforward nature, she asked what they all wondered, "Tell us. How is it that you know our identities?" They all looked curiously at Abigail, quietly awaiting her response. Abigail took a moment to gather herself. After all, it was through her father that she was able to seek out Hiro and Baymax. But bringing up her father, their former professor, was a sensitive subject and she felt that she needed to tread carefully.

Despite her usually confident appearance, Abigail was actually quite uncomfortable trying to explain to all of them why she really sought out Hiro. In approaching Krei and Granville, or even Hiro, she had known them enough to find the right way to approach them individually. But for the rest of the Big Hero 6 team, she did not have the time nor the foresight to be able to learn each person's motivations or perspective, to plan on what barriers she may face in discussing her true plans and their potential responses. She had to trust that having Hiro on board would help to explain it to them and hope that they will receive it positively.

Hiro sensed this, noting that she seemed uncharacteristically hesitant compared to how she had been with Mr. Krei or Professor Granville. He and Abigail were embarking on a special project, one that could potentially put himself at risk too. Due to this, his friends deserved to know what he was getting himself into. He knew that he would have to inform his team. The boy stepped in, "It was through her father, Professor Callaghan… She realized that he knew my identity, so she approached him and learned my identity so that she could thank me and Baymax personally."

Abigail looked to Hiro, surprised at his being so forward. The young boy continued to explain to his team, "But on top of that, she also seeks to make amends for everything that happened after she was trapped on the other side. And she… she knew Tadashi personally. She wants to honor him, so she approached me about a special project of sorts-" Abigail raised her hand to Hiro, thanking him and indicating that she should be the one to explain the rest. Hiro nodded, letting her take the stage.

"When I learned that the one who saved me was also the younger brother of Tadashi, I realized that I needed to do something for him, for Tadashi. It pains me that my father caused his death, but even more so because my father revered Tadashi almost like he was his own son. And in a way, I regarded him as a brother. His creation and his brother saved me, I owe it to them to help Tadashi's memory live on and to repay the kindness his creation afforded me. I…We plan to recreate Project Silent Sparrow and retrieve Tadashi's Baymax from that strange place. Baymax was lost to you all, lost to Hiro, because they risked themselves to save me. I owe it to you all to return your friend."

The Big Hero 6 team all collectively gasped, shocked at this development and processing the revealing of her intentions. Ever since the conclusion of Project Silent Sparrow's collapse at the Krei Tech Industries headquarters and her subsequent rescue, they had never anticipated this could happen. They had never thought they would ever get the chance to see Abigail since her rescue, nor that she would actively seek them out. Let alone, what she was proposing along with Hiro was a monumental undertaking. Not to mention, what it meant personally to them… what it meant to Hiro. Baymax was the link that brought Hiro back to them and carried on a part of Tadashi. They did share a sentimental connection to the first model with what they went through together after Tadashi's passing.

Seeing his team process the news, Hiro continued after Abigail, "Guys, I am going to help her out with this. I never thought I would be able to see that Baymax again… he was the model that Tadashi labored tirelessly to build… We may still have Baymax with us through his chip, but _that_ Baymax also represents a part of Tadashi's legacy and we have the opportunity to bring Baymax back from that place. I understand if you guys might have reservations or concerns, but I am completely devoted to this and absolutely nothing will change that. For Tadashi, I need to do this. And you don't have to help us or even agree that it should be attempted, but it would mean a lot to me if you guys worked on this with Abigail and I."

They all were deep in thought, but they certainly knew where they were all leaning towards. Ultimately, it didn't take long for Gogo to step up and answer for all of them, "Like you even have to ask. We're in. Tadashi was our best friend, and we want to keep his memory alive every way we can. We'll help you get Baymax back." Gogo looked towards the young boy with certainty and conviction that they would help him. She turned to looked towards Abigail, nodding to her. Abigail smiled, nodding back to her with gratitude. Everyone else nodded in agreement. "This is going to be a daring rescue mission, guys!" Fred exclaimed excitedly at their new project. Honey Lemon happily moved to Hiro, giving him a swift joyful hug. "Aww! This is going to be great, Hiro! Having two Baymaxes! That would be double the hug cuteness!" Honey Lemon screamed in giddy excitement, she was positive that they would be successful in this endeavor.

"You can count me in. And I want to help… But honestly, what is the plan to even get this going? Don't get me wrong, but I don't think any of us has any experience or even a semblance of an idea how to recreate a portal to another dimension! It's not exactly something we can just cook up from scratch?" Wasabi chimed in, with a not-so-subtle hint of concern. He was always one who did not want to dive into anything if there wasn't even a plan to adhere to. However, he did bring up a poignant point to consider for the rest of the Big Hero 6 team. Even with their combined intellect and capabilities, was there even a possibility of recreating Project Silent Sparrow with what they had available? To their knowledge, the data was unavailable and the lab on Akuma Island that housed the project was disintegrated. Of that, they saw it occur personally during their rescue of Karmi from Momokase.

Hiro was relieved to see that his friends would support them, but he understood their concerns for how this will even be possible. "Thanks guys… It really means a lot to me, and I know that together we can do this. Even if we cook this up from scratch, we'll have all of the ingredients we need, so to speak. We were able to convince Mr. Krei to pool his resources to fund for the materials and provide a classified location to operate out of," Hiro explained, noticing how Fred was becoming increasingly excited. The others seemed surprised that they were able to get Mr. Krei to help them on this.

Hiro continued, "But… as for learning how to even build it, you are right, Wasabi. The project's development data and Mr. Krei's old lab on Akuma Island were all destroyed as part of the government's cover-up plan." He paused to take a breath, and the team was wondering if the boy genius had a solution to this issue. "And actually, we do have a potential solution in mind to work around that… This might be odd coming from me… but I propose we enlist Professor Callaghan's help to rebuild Silent Sparrow. He was the last person to have studied the design schematics and was able to reconstruct it all on his own," Hiro revealed, a sense of seriousness in his voice with an understanding of what he was proposing.

Sure, Professor Callaghan did recreate the portal for his own desires to take everything away from Mr. Krei. But nonetheless, they had to recognize that their former mentor was the key to rebuilding Project Silent Sparrow. Naturally, everyone was shocked and immediately became concerned for the boy, they knew that it was painful for him at even the mentioning of Professor Callaghan. Gogo sharply pointed out, "Why not just get in contact with the team that originally designed it? They are the ones who made it in the first place."

Hiro laughed softly, "Well, would you be surprised to hear that they all hate Mr. Krei with a passion and refuse to help him. Or that they would like to see him behind bars?" Everyone looked at each other frowning, quickly sighing as there was not any doubt that this was probably the case. "And… that's not surprising. Money can't buy everything," Gogo responded with annoyance, shaking her head.

But they were concerned about having to work with Professor Callaghan, especially how difficult this will be for Hiro. Honey Lemon stepped forward and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. She was always very tender and caring with the young boy, concerned for his wellbeing. The tall, slender young woman leaned over to level with him, her voice conveying the concern shared among the team, "Are you sure you are okay with this, Hiro?"

Hiro looked up at Honey Lemon and smiled reassuringly, a hand meeting hers at his shoulder, "Yes… It wasn't easy making that decision or even being the one to propose this, trust me. But I've given it a lot of thought. It's the only viable way we can do this and… Baymax, well he's family, he's a part of Tadashi that still exists and he should continue Tadashi's dream to help people in this world. Getting him back… means more to me." The prospect of trying to convince Professor Callaghan and work with him was unsettling but getting Baymax meant more to him and collaborating with Callaghan was the only way to get him back.

They all nodded, understanding where Hiro was coming from and that he seemed to be certain in this. Undoubtedly, the young genius had considered every angle he could possibly look at. "That's why we will be there to help you," Gogo chimed in tersely and succinctly, she attempted to place her hand on Hiro's shoulder, but it awkwardly hovered over his shoulder. "Yeah, still not a shoulder patter," she lightly tapped Hiro's shoulder uncomfortably as Honey Lemon and Hiro looked at her awkwardly. Then, she lightly punched the boy's shoulder to his slightly painful surprise, "But never doubt us again that we would help you, genius boy."

It appeared that they all had collectively decided that they would all support this undertaking any way they could. Suddenly, Fred burst out, giddily as he embraced Wasabi with one arm over his shoulder, waving his arm as if it was revealing a great scene. "Oh, yeah! This is a classic 'Phase 2' story development! A blast from the past! A sudden appearance by a key person from our 'origin story' returns for a special mission that only the Big Hero 6 team could accomplish. And then… the plot twist! The first super villain returns, but we find our heroes forced to work with him as a possible ally. Could this even be a redemption story arc?"

Wasabi quickly ducked under Fred's arms, shuddering at the sudden physical contact by Fred since he thought the shaggy young man was not particularly clean and well-kept. "A plot twist, indeed, Mr. Frederickson," a stern voice suddenly rang out from around the corner. They all looked to see that Professor Granville had walked into their lab. Everyone looked to her with surprise, simultaneously exclaiming, "Professor Granville!" It was apparent to the students that she had already understood the situation, but still found this as odd as when she casually allowed them to conduct their superhero business in front of her. They were still getting used to the idea that their own professor was always somehow involved or aware of their extracurricular activities.

Hiro and Abigail walked to meet the professor, wondering if she had made her decision on supporting the project. "Auntie Grace, I trust you were able to take the time to reach an answer?" Abigail inquired, curious yet confident. "Auntie Grace? So, they were related this whole time? Second plot twist!" Fred muttered in the background. Hiro looked towards Fred, shaking his head but smiling at his comic book-inspired antics. But along with Abigail, Hiro wanted to know what his professor had decided on. Professor Granville looked towards the two, her face was serious but seemingly certain of her position on this.

"Yes. I have been giving it some thought, Abby. Your father was a dear friend to me… and I still care for him. I think, perhaps, even he needs this to happen. But I especially hope this helps to heal you and Mr. Hamada after all that has happened to you two," Professor Granville spoke without any sense of hesitation. Abigail and Hiro looked to each other, smiling and nodding at this development. "Mr. Hamada, Abby. You can count on my support. And besides, someone has to make sure you two will be safe and not take any rash, reckless and avoidable risks and reign you all in," Professor Granville exclaimed, bending at the waist as her eyes and her words seemed to be aimed particularly at Hiro and Abby, having known both were prone to being reckless at times. Hiro and Abigail chuckled uneasily but were relieved that they had gotten the support of Professor Granville and the rest of the Big Hero 6 team.

"Thank you, Professor Granville," Hiro smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm pleased to have you aboard, Aunt Grace," Abigail stepped in to give Granville a hug and was warmly reciprocated by the professor to the team's surprise. The gang was not used to seeing Granville in any particularly warm mood, but they were glad to see their professor being involved. Professor Granville looked past them and towards the rest of the Big Hero 6 crew. "Students, you can consider this a special school project that I will be personally overseeing. I will afford you some leeway on normal assignments, but don't expect too much and slack off. And I expect you all to put forth your best effort in assisting Abby and Mr. Hamada, as I will do the same." All of her students agreed shortly, a look of determination surfacing among them.

Abigail could not be any more pleased, the pieces were all falling into place, thus far. Hiro and she have been able to gain the support of all who would comprise the new Silent Sparrow's development team. Alistair Krei would provide the funding for materials, as well as developing the clandestine lab location. Of which he has already began construction with his specialized teams designing it and taking full advantage of the mass produced microbots that Hiro recreated to specifically expedite the site's development.

As the voice of strict reason, Professor Granville would provide her vast technical expertise and would personally oversee all control systems that will ensure that the operation is within acceptable risk levels at her standards. With her, she will be able to ensure that there would not be a repeat of the first Silent Sparrow's technical failure. Finally, they now had the support of the entire Big Hero 6 team, who were arguably among the brightest that SFIT had to offer and each brilliant in their respective fields of study. Now, there was only one last component. For them, the only remaining piece was the one that this whole project hinged upon, Abigail's father, Robert Callaghan.

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**Author's Note: I also found it a bit difficult to add in the rest of the Big Hero 6 crew, it's a lot of personalities to consider but it wouldn't be Big Hero 6 without having them in the plot. Stay tuned!**


	12. Shita-Kiri Suzume

**Author's Note: I hope you are enjoying this series so far! Thank you again for keeping up with it. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 12: Shita-Kiri Suzume (The Tongue-Cut Sparrow)**

Granville and Abigail were driving on their way to the prison. But Abigail was silent as Granville drove, her mind was replaying a far-off memory that she had been fond of… it was a childhood memory of her father, who enjoyed telling her traditional folklore stories. It was her first time hearing this particular story.

"Ever heard the story of the 'Tongue-Cut Sparrow,' Abby?" her father asked the young Abigail, her face contorted at just hearing the title. The thought of a sparrow losing its tongue was already worrying yet made her curious. "This isn't another scary story, right, Dad? Did you forget I am trying to sleep here?" the young girl asked. Although she was concerned, she was also playful with her father.

"It's certainly not meant to be a scary story, and I promise that it will end well for the little sparrow. Would you like to hear it?" Robert tried to reassure his daughter, piquing her interest.

"Okay!" she responded enthusiastically, looking to her father with attentive eyes.

"Alright. In a small village in Japan, there was a kind old man that lived alone. But he was not always alone, he was constantly visited by a little sparrow. It was not an ordinary sparrow, for the old man was able to teach it tricks and friendly gestures. The two had easily become great friends, looking forward to seeing each other each day when it came to visit," Callaghan spoke softly, the young Abigail smiled at a promising start.

"But next door to his house, lived a wicked neighbor that did not like the sparrow nor that the old man was seemingly happier than he was. And one day, the sparrow had accidentally eaten the neighbor's laundry starch, thinking it was meant for it to eat. The wicked neighbor took the opportunity to punish the little sparrow, who had been bowing to them apologetically. It was not enough for the neighbor, so they took the poor sparrow and cut out its tongue. The poor sparrow flew away," he still spoke tenderly but looked to his daughter, who had gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands as if she was protecting her own tongue. "Dad! This is a scary story!"

Callaghan chuckled softly and calmed his daughter with a gentle touch of her shoulders, "Don't worry, Abby. Remember that I said it ends well for the little sparrow?" The young Abigail pouted, but calmed down and awaited to hear the rest of the story.

"As you would expect, the kind old man became worried for his little friend that was no longer visiting. When he had asked his neighbor, they had told him what they did to the little sparrow. The old man was upset, but his concerns were more towards his little friend. So, he set out into the forest to look for the little sparrow," Callaghan continued, looking to his daughter as she had become visibly excited at the anticipation that the old man would see the sparrow.

"Eventually, the old man had seen a path towards a house he had never noticed. He went there, hoping to ask the occupants if they saw a sparrow without its tongue. But when he knocked, he was surprised," he explained, seeing his daughter smile. "The door had opened, and the old man was surprised to see that he was greeted by a family of sparrows who had seemed to recognize him. They immediately took him in and introduced him to their mother, who was the old man's friend." Abigail jumped shortly on her bed out of excitement. "Although he was delighted, he wondered how the sparrow was able to talk again. But the sparrow was truly no ordinary sparrow, but a mythical fairy sparrow. Its tongue had regrown as it had chosen to not allow the wicked neighbor's brutal act to seed ill-will in the sparrow's heart. Rather than seek vengeance, it wanted to heal and see her friend again."

"The family of sparrows and their mother were pleased to have their honored guest, they sang and enjoyed his stay. The old man was so happy, but even though they invited him to stay with them, he respectfully declined as he had to return home and continue working the fields. So, the sparrow wanted the old man to take home with him a gift, presenting the old man with two wicker baskets to choose from. One small, the other large." Callaghan paused to catch his breath.

"The old man was modest, humble and kind, so he graciously accepted the smaller wicker basket. Thanking the sparrow and its family, he came back home to see that his friend had given him enough silver and gold to allow him to enjoy the rest of his days without having to break himself working the fields. But the wicked neighbor noticed this…" Abigail immediately frowned, not wanting to hear about the wicked neighbor again.

"Of course, the wicked neighbor became jealous and even thought the old man was a fool for not choosing the larger wicker basket, thinking that he would have been rich beyond imagination. The wicked neighbor sought out the sparrow, finding their house. The wicked neighbor did not think to ask for forgiveness and even demanded that they get what the old man got. The family of sparrows wanted to punish the wicked neighbor for what they did to their mother, the lady sparrow. But instead, the lady sparrow welcomed the wicked neighbor and even offered them the very same gifts that she offered to the kind old man. Of course, which do you think the neighbor chose?" Callaghan looked to his daughter, asking her what she thought happened.

"He chose the larger gift," she responded with little thought. "That's right. But it was far too large for the wicked neighbor, who tried to make their way back home. But they were too greedy and wanted to see how much gold and silver they had gotten compared to the kind old man. Stopping along the trail home, the wicked neighbor decided to open their gift. But to her surprise, there was no gold, no silver… but rather a horde of demons that… took her away," Callaghan spoke, decidedly careful how he said the ending, but he could see that his daughter was upset.

"I thought you said the story ended well?" she pouted. "I'm sorry, little one. I did say that it would end well for the sparrow, who chose to continue her life with her family and the friendship she had with the old man. The lady sparrow even offer kindness to the wicked neighbor that cut her tongue, giving the neighbor a choice to redeem themselves. And certainly, for the kind old man, who had only wanted to enjoy the company of the sparrow and his kindness was unexpectedly met with good fortune," Callaghan explained, trying to show her the moral to the young girl pouted but tried to understand the story.

"I don't like it still. Change it," she frowned, to her father's amusement. *_Abby? You alright? *_ A distant voice intruded her memory, but she continued to recall her father's response, "I didn't make it up. Perhaps you should tell that to the folks who passed down this folklore tale over a hundred years ago?" The distant voice continued, *_Abby? Little Abby?* _Her memory concluded with the young Abigail reasoning to her father, "But you can still change the story, make it end differently. Make it our own story, right?"

Abigail felt a hand on her shoulder, looking to see the voice that was calling her back to reality. "Abby? You okay? You were starting to worry me," Granville looked to Abigail with concern. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, Auntie Grace. I was just… lost in thought I guess," Abigail chuckled softly, remind herself that she was going to see her father soon.

"Are you ready for this, Abby?" Granville inquired, checking in with Abigail that she was up for this. "Yes. We have to," Abigail said, her steadiness returning to her. They pulled into the prison's security gate, preparing themselves for the inevitable conversation.

* * *

_You just let him die… he went in there to save you!_ Professor Callaghan's hands clutched at his face, exhaling with a weathered sigh. "When… will that nightmare end?" he asked himself, constantly facing that same nightmare throughout several nights. Hiro's anguished words echoing in his head. He heard the buzzing of the entrance door beyond his cell, it was being unlocked for a visitor. His gaze focused on the door, a sigh of relief at the sight of his daughter stepping through the door towards him.

"I almost thought you'd never come to see me again, Abigail," a faint smile surfaced on her father's face. He was still relieved to see her, to see her safe, standing before him. This was no dream. But he could see by her expression that she had come to talk to him about something. He saw her stand tall and looked at him with both a caring and determined expression, "Dad, I came here to ask something of you that's very important me…"

"Dad… I need your help and you are the only person we can turn to…" Abigail cleared her throat, preparing for the arduous task of convincing her father. Robert looked to his daughter, he was potentially delighted that his daughter would come to him for help. That he would be able to do something for her. Attempting to gather herself, she said, "I need you to rebuild Project Silent Sparrow, help me retrieve the Baymax that sacrificed itself to save my life-"

Professor Callaghan was shaking, "Abigail… how could you even think to ask something like that?" He could not believe what he was hearing. Why would he risk what he cared most about? He did not want her to go back into that machine again. Traumatic memories flooded his mind, seeing the second machine exploding from its catastrophic failure and the government forcing the remaining machine to be shut down indefinitely. Effectively stranding Abigail in a place where he could not reach her.

Abigail pleaded to her father, "Dad, you are the only one left who can rebuild Silent Sparrow. You are the only one who can help us bring back Baymax- " Callaghan erupted with incredulous anger, "And risk you being lost again to that cursed machine!? You are asking me to willingly put you back at risk! I will not, Abby! I won't lose you, not for a second time…" His voice had become decidedly softer, it was only that he was terrified at losing Abigail again.

Although emotionally riled up, Abigail understand her father's fears. But she pleaded again, speaking softly to attempt to calm him, "Please, Dad. We owe it to Hiro… to Tadashi. Someone has to help, and we are the only ones who can. It has to be us."

Professor Callaghan sighed heavily as he looked down in shame. His daughter's choice of words… _Someone has to help. _He knew that they echoed the last words his protégé said before he made the choice to risk himself to save Callaghan. Tadashi truly was a selfless soul. Surely, it was not an easy decision to risk his life, even at the behest of his younger brother pleading for him not to go towards the fire.

Were it not for his blinding rage, scheming to stage his own death within that fire… Callaghan would have never placed his protégé in that situation. It was something he did not account for, only that he wanted to use Hiro's invention to enact his plans for retribution against Krei. In the aftermath of it all, he had to face the truth that what he did led to Tadashi's death. And he wasn't even sure if he should even be forgiven.

"Abigail, no matter what I do, it will never bring back Tadashi. Even if I do help you… I still can never be forgiven for taking him away from the world… from Hiro," her father concluded, seeing futility in his situation and that he did not want to risk his daughter again. Abigail simply smiled, asking, "Do you remember the story you and mom used to tell me as a kid?"

Callaghan was momentarily taken aback, surprised at her sudden question, "'The Tongue-Cut Sparrow?' What does this have to do with- " But, Abigail quickly continued, "Do you remember the lessons from that story you tried to teach me?" Professor Callaghan paused.

Professor Callaghan reflected on the traditional Japanese folklore story that he had told the young Abigail. When he lost Abigail, it was a bittersweet memory that he had chosen to forget or push away. But its story was sadly pertinent to their situation, the very same lessons that he had tried to teach Abigail were the very lessons he did not heed. Callaghan was ashamed that he had went against his own principles.

He hesitated, "Yes… that an act of kindness could be unexpectedly rewarded with good fortune. That anger and greed… could lead to your end. And that… even when you are wronged… you can choose to forgive and move forward in order to heal…" At this moment, he had felt that he had truly let his daughter down. Abigail looked to him, allowing him to reflect on those lessons he seemingly abandoned.

In that old tale, the wicked neighbor took away the poor sparrow's tongue out of anger. Just as Callaghan had inadvertently taken Tadashi's life, silencing the young man from the world and all he had to offer it. Similarly, his rage had drowned out and silenced Abigail's wishes for him to not act out in hatred. For the story, despite having been wronged, the sparrow had healed and wanted to live beyond the old woman's transgressions. Just the same, both Hiro and his daughter were seeking to forgive the professor, if at least for them to truly heal.

Professor Callaghan understood that he placed Hiro in the same position he was in. To lose a loved one at the hands of another. The young boy was faced with the same fatal choice that Callaghan had made. Truthfully, Callaghan felt that the boy had every right to try to take his life with the rampant Baymax, to face an almost poetic retribution by Tadashi's own brother and his creation meant to help people. Despite this, Hiro was able to realize that this would not bring Tadashi back nor allow him to heal in his grief. Just as the sparrow even offered the wicked neighbor the same choices as the kind old man, Hiro pleaded to Callaghan that he make that choice to stop and think about Abigail's wishes.

In the story, the wicked neighbor made the choice to greedily seek the gift she did not deserve and worst yet, did not seek forgiveness for her brutal act against the sparrow. Likewise, Callaghan had been afflicted by a rather different form of greed, the desire to take absolutely everything Krei had built so that he could feel a semblance of what he had taken from him, his daughter… his everything. And in his grief and anger, he would only be able to apologize to Hiro in the aftermath of it all.

In a twist of fate, Callaghan had become the wicked neighbor who sought everything within the large basket and opened it all that would punish them. Callaghan too had opened Silent Sparrow to take everything from Krei, but it had ironically sealed his fate to imprisonment and to be tormented by his actions. But it had also given him the unexpected gift he did not deserve, the return of Abigail. And with it, he opened the proverbial box of demons, analogous to the feelings of guilt and remorse that consumes his thoughts.

"Hmm. I taught you well… It's a shame I could not listen to my own lessons… Seems I became that wicked neighbor… I deserve to be eaten by the demons I brought into the world," Callaghan spoke softly yet harshly, self-chastising himself. He turned away from his daughter, unable to look her in the eyes. He faced the wall, stifling his tears.

"I… always hated when you told that story… Until mom had told me another ending that was different from yours…" Abigail revealed, this time she had walked towards the clear encasement and placed her hand on it tenderly. It was at this moment that she did wish that she could put her hand on her father's shoulder to comfort him.

Professor Callaghan's eyes widened, unaware that his late wife, Gale, had told Abigail another version. He turned to look towards his daughter, curious what Gale had said. Abigail continued, "I told mom that I did not like how the wicked neighbor was given so many chances to seek forgiveness, that they never learned from their mistakes and were simply punished for it with their life at the hands of the demons…"

Abigail smiled, closing her eyes as she imagined her mother caressing her warmly and telling her the version, she truly believed it was the true rendition of the old tale. Abigail continued to explain, "Mom, she told me that the wicked neighbor escaped the demons with their life. Narrowly escaping a horrible death, the neighbor realized that they had placed themselves in that situation through their own actions. Seeing the error in their ways, they had sought forgiveness from the sparrow and the kind old man, who had both forgave the neighbor. And for the rest of their days, the neighbor had become a different person entirely, someone who was kind, loving and loved."

"Hmm…Gale…your mother said that, huh? I never knew your mother had told you that…" Professor Callaghan spoke softly. "It was a little before her last flight… she told it to me as a goodnight story. She had learned it from her travels in Japan, having heard different versions among the regions she explored," Abigail revealed to her father. Callaghan looked down, thinking about his wife and daughter. He never wanted to become someone they wouldn't recognize, someone different from the loving husband and father he had always strove to be for them.

Abigail words pierced through the cell, "Dad… just like the neighbor, you have the choice to make a change. You can change the story... If you stay like this, you will only torment yourself. But you are the only person who can help us bring Baymax from the other side of Silent Sparrow. You can make that change, you can make it up to Hiro. Bring him back the Baymax that Tadashi worked for so long to create… let Tadashi's dream of helping people live on."

Professor Callaghan reflected on the memory he had when he was able to witness Tadashi's triumphant moment in Baymax's creation. The young prodigy had gone through so many trials, it was a labor of love to honor his passion to help others. Callaghan could not be any prouder as a professor. He could not be any prouder of his student who held high promise to better the world. Abigail was right, he was the only one who could make it possible to bring Baymax back. And with him, another part of Tadashi will live on to continue his protégé's dream.

"Abigail… you're right. I owe it to Hiro if I am ever able to make amends with him. I owe it to Baymax, for returning you to me… And I owe it to Tadashi to honor his dream and ensure that it continues on," Callaghan spoke, although with emotional pain, he had done so with clarity. He wanted to help change things for all of them. He wished he could bring Tadashi back, but he had it in his power to bring Tadashi's creation back at least.

Abigail smiled warmly, she had wanted to see her father with a regained sense of purpose and for him to truly take responsibility over his actions. He sought to apologize to Hiro, but now he had the ability to actually do something to make amends with the young boy.

"But… you are asking me to put you at risk, Abigail… I already lost you once and it broke me completely. I can't bear the thought of losing you again. I don't know what I would do," Callaghan reasoned, still hesitant with risking what he had care the most about. "I know dad, I understand. But I need to be the one who crosses over to get him back, you aren't the only one indebted to the Hamada's. I wouldn't be here without Baymax, I have to get him back…" Abigail reasoned with conviction.

Professor Callaghan clenched his fists in fear and frustration, he would not know what he would do if he had lost her again, maybe even for the last time. "But there's too much risk, that machine could fail again," he simply muttered with concern. But he knew that his daughter was adamant and stubborn, much like her mother. There was no convincing her otherwise.

"I understand you are afraid of the risks, that you are afraid that it will happen again. But that's why we will be working with the best to make sure that every possible risk will be minimized," Abigail looked towards the security camera behind her and nodded. "And like you, they have a vested interest in this being successful and keeping me safe throughout."

Shortly after, the entrance door behind her would open. Professor Callaghan was surprised to see a familiar face, someone he was both ashamed and delighted to see. "Hey Robert, it's been too long, old friend. I wish it were under different circumstances, but it's good to see you alive again," Professor Granville walked towards the transparent wall and stood beside Abigail. "Grace! After all this time… it's good to see you are doing well again… I hear you're the head professor now, it suits you. The school is in good hands," Callaghan smiled faintly.

Grace smiled and nodded to her old colleague, "Yes. That's right. You've always held a high standard for the school. I'll make sure that it will continue as you wanted it." Professor Callaghan nodded in approval but corrected her, "From what I hear, you are pushing the boundaries quite well. The students deserve to be challenged, there is no one else who deserves to take that position than you, Grace."

"That means a lot coming from you, Robert. Thank you… But, as you must already know, I am not here particularly to discuss how the school is doing," Granville looked towards Abigail who was standing beside her. "I understand your fears, with what Abigail plans to do. This is a difficult decision for you, but I want to reassure you that I will be here working alongside you to ensure that nothing will happen to our 'little Abby.' You know that it hurt me too when I thought she was truly gone, but she is as stubborn as you and Gale. There is no way to convince her to forego this, she will find a way to rebuild that machine. But if we help, we will have a direct influence on its success. And I'd say, you need to do this too. Mr. Hamada… both of them… deserve nothing less. I… wish I was able to make amends with my old protégé. And now he too is gone…and in a way, I was the one who took his life away." Granville took a breath, regretting what had happened between her and Bob Aken.

"But you have the opportunity to honor your protégé, Robert. You can help make it up to his younger brother, who meant everything to him. You can bring back his creation, revive a part of him. Perhaps, it will help Mr. Hamada… Hiro, to get to a better place where he can forgive you. And perhaps you can begin to try to forgive yourself as well," Grace spoke softly with heartfelt sincerity, she saw the opportunity that her old friend had. She could never do anything for Mr. Aken, his fate was sealed when she did not set appropriate limits for him and his passion got the best of him. But Callaghan could do something for his pupil, even if he was physically gone from this world. He still had a legacy, and Callaghan could ensure that it lives on through Baymax.

Professor Callaghan looked to his old colleague, he did not need to know the details behind her loss of the young Bob Aken. He was there to see what it had done to her. He thought on her words, they had both lost their pupils indirectly by their actions. But unlike Mr. Aken, Tadashi had left behind his younger brother and his creation.

Grace was observing her friend, she could see that she was reaching him. Initially, Granville had been afraid that the man she would see would feel completely different. She could see what time and tragedies had done to him, he looked especially weathered and broken. Undoubtedly, all the time he had to himself must tear him apart as he could only reflect on his actions and their severe consequences. But as he was now, she could see that her friend was there, seeking forgiveness and to atone for his actions. The Robert she knew, was perhaps finally back.

"You have my word, Robert. I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is safe. I care for her too, I will never forget what you and she did for me when I was at my most vulnerable point in my life. You have been like family to me, I can't stand to lose anyone else again… not on my watch. So please trust in me again," Grace placed a hand on her heart, attempting to reassure her old friend.

Callaghan remembered Granville at her lowest point having left SFIT after her protégé's accident. It changed her, made her hyper vigilant and guides her to be disciplined and cautious, to set limits and parameters that should not be exceeded or take unnecessary risks. "Grace… I… do trust you, old friend," Callaghan took a deep breath. Robert Callaghan closed his eyes, placing his hand on the wall behind him to prop up on it. It was a difficult decision, but perhaps this would help give him even just a semblance of inner peace. Maybe the nightmares will end. He sighed exhaustively.

"Abigail… Grace… I will… help you rebuild that machine," Callaghan concluded, there was still so much for him to process and he still had his fears, but it appeared that this would help all of them heal from that incident. A chance to do right by his student, Tadashi Hamada. This time, tears streamed down Abigail's face, "Thank you… Dad."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, this was a bit difficult to write out but it was still fun. Learning about the traditional folklore tale of the Tongue-Cut Sparrow just seemed so appropriate, a very probable reference that Project Silent Sparrow was influenced by and some of its themes of forgiveness and kindness. And as many old tales are, there are various versions of it. Thank you for reading. Stay tuned!**


	13. Icarus' Limits

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 13: Icarus' Limits**

Atop the executive office of the Krei Tech Industries main building, its CEO paced back and forth along his clear window view that overlooked much of San Fransokyo's majestic city view. Alistair Krei was visibly anxious and under stress, his gait was especially rushed, and his voice was both frustrated and nervous. He was on his phone, attempting to ensure things were going as planned.

"Yes, try to create a fake lab that will be convincing enough to get the government off of our backs… You know you don't have to worry about your budget for materials, we just need this to be done as soon as you can. Isn't that what the microbots are helping you with?" Mr. Krei spoke on his signature Krei Tech smartphone to his construction team, he had been constantly overseeing the progress of their new lab site at Akuma Island. But after the fiasco with the government's shutdown of Silent Sparrow, he had to be extra cautious in some of his projects since he was often under their watchful eyes.

This would be especially true for him to use Akuma Island again, it was the very site that housed the government-supported Project Silent Sparrow and was also quarantined by the government. It would be rather tricky to navigate around them and avoid inciting any suspicions. "Well, I trust you guys can figure out a way to build a sublevel further beneath Akuma Island. The government cannot inspect what they don't even know exists, right?" the business tycoon stated on the phone, a hint of frustration and anxiety in his voice. He listened to their response, seemingly becoming more assured from what he heard.

"Thank you. Well, I expect nothing less. You are the best that money can buy. And I have that money, so please continue at the pace you have been designing and constructing our site. And keep me posted… or keep my assistant posted," Mr. Krei finally seemed to calm down. It was true that he felt a certain debt to repay to Abigail, so he knew he had to devote his efforts to making sure his teams could make it happen. But, admittedly, he was sticking his neck out on this one. He's no stranger to shady backdoor deals and clandestine projects but using Akuma Island was risky and is catching attention from the government.

He does not have any other viable locations for such an undertaking, and it being secluded from the public. He had considered purchasing Muirahara Woods to construct the lab there due to its relative seclusion away from San Fransokyo. But honestly, Alistair had a love for that land and was hesitant on committing towards defacing any of it to expand Krei Tech Industries' operations. Let alone, it would be easier for intruders to sneak into the forest and Akuma Island had the advantage of the San Fransokyo bay acting as a natural security barrier.

Mr. Krei was deep in thought, looking out towards the city skyline. "Sounds like you're having trouble with building your super-secret lab that no one is supposed to know about. Construction isn't my expertise, but I can help them with utilizing the microbots efficiently," Hiro mused as he sat on a chair in front of Mr. Krei's desk, immediately startling Alistair who spun around to look at the young boy. "I forgot you were there this whole time, thought you were that weird plant my assistant gave me," Krei exclaimed, his sudden startling had actually slightly startled Hiro since the boy had thought he was aware of his presence already.

The young boy narrowed his eyes, looking to a corner of Krei's main office to look at a spiky short plant that decorated the room. "Um, Mr. Krei? Why would Judy put a plant in front of your desk… on top of your chair… specifically meant for guests?" the boy snarkily asked in annoyance, not liking being compared to a plant due to his messy hair. "Who?" Mr. Krei looked in wonder at the boy, not recognizing the name he mentioned. Hiro simply smacked his forehead and groaned, deciding to continue working on designing machine sketches from his tablet. Dismissing Mr. Krei's shenanigans, he muttered to himself, "I hope Abigail comes back soon with an update, she said she wanted to meet personally up here."

"Mr. Krei?" his personal assistant rang through his intercom. "Yes, what is it, assistant?" he responded casually. "Ms. Callaghan is coming up to you… right about, now," Judy paused momentarily to time it well enough that she warned Krei of her arrival only as soon as she arrived on their floor, the ringing of the elevator heard as if it was right on cue. Krei's eyes narrowed, annoyed that his assistant messes with him to keep him on his toes and not warn of guests until the last second. "Thanks… assistant." Mr. Krei seemed to go through a pre-meeting ritual, clearing his throat, practicing an exaggerated smile and adjusting his blazer and tie. But of course, it was rather rushed thanks to having so little preparation time to get him in his business mode. Hiro merely chuckled at the sight, now looking over to await Abigail's arrival through the elevator.

Abigail stepped through as the elevator doors opened, smiling at the two as she walked towards them. Hiro noted that her eyes seemed to be a bit heavy or worn from possibly crying, even though she was smiling warmly and even wearing makeup. She obviously had an update on this project, were they tears of joy, frustration or disappointment? Abigail noticed Hiro's concerned gaze, nodding to him in an attempt to reassure him. "Well, I come bearing news about our clandestine project," Abigail mused as she walked up to Alistair's desk to prop herself on it with both arms resting along it casually. The two looked to her with curious anticipation.

"I spoke to my father… Took quite some time to get to him but… Aunt Grace and I were able to convince him to help us rebuild Silent Sparrow to retrieve Baymax," Abigail revealed, much to their surprise. Hiro felt mixed about the development, they of course needed his help to get Baymax, but he still wasn't necessarily ecstatic to hear that he would have to collaborate with Professor Callaghan.

"But, does Robert know that he will be working with me?" Alistair asked Abigail, genuinely wondering how Callaghan could possibly agree to work with him. "Nope," Abigail responded rather quickly, surprising Krei even further. "What?! Why didn't you tell him?" Alistair inquired, his face incredulously contorted in wonder. "Hey, I told you that Aunt Grace and I were trying to convince him to help. Not deter him," Abigail chuckled at the business executive. "This is not going to be particularly easy for us all to work together, but we all do need each other to make this possible," she remarked, looking towards Hiro to recognize that this would be difficult for him as well. "So, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But now the problem is… how do we get him out of prison to work with us directly? Can't exactly work on a clandestine project under the watchful eyes of his prison cell."

"Well… we could bust him out of prison? Sneakily of course!" Mr. Krei proposed, seemingly serious in considering this course of action. "Sounds like a great idea to prison break a criminal roboticist that the city of San Fransokyo and the government would certainly freak out about. He's too high profile to do something so… umm… criminal? You know, because making a secret underground lab behind the government's back isn't enough?" Hiro responded sarcastically. "Well, what do you propose then, intern?" Mr. Krei reacted, emphasizing Hiro's intern title.

"Well, actually I was thinking we could take advantage of the fake lab that will be the coverup operation and will mask our sublevel lab that will house the new Silent Sparrow. I'm sure you have a lot of backdoor connections to allow Professor Callaghan to come on as a special consultant for your coverup project, you know? Perhaps he can 'help' consult one of the programs you are developing for the government?" Hiro proposed coherently, Abigail and Mr. Krei being interested in this approach. The young boy smirked at Mr. Krei, "You know, like a certain project you are developing for the Army Corps of Engineers with a certain robotic solution for rapid construction in dangerous environments?"

"I told you not to snoop in my files, they're protected with encryption algorithms for a reason!" Mr. Krei sighed, wondering what else the boy had seen. "You think telling me not to do something would actually stop me, I take it more as a challenge. Not that your security tech team's data encryption was an actual challenge for me…" the young boy snidely remarked. Abigail laughed but wanted to redirect the conversation back to Hiro's proposition.

"What do you think though, Alistair? Think you can convince some people in power that you need my father to help you with a project that will benefit the government? Might give us some wiggle room to get him temporarily released to the custody of your executive protection team for the coverup project," Abigail asked Alistair, hoping that this was a viable option that Krei could pursue. She continued, "After all, who would suspect you of all people wanting to work with my father. The world knows that he tried to kill you, it would probably throw people for a loop. They all would know that you would have elevated security to keep him in custody and under supervision, for your safety. I think you can convince them to allow you to have access to my father without law enforcement having to observe him constantly."

"But if we did that and had a known criminal on our consulting team, wouldn't the government try to oversee our coverup project more and it would be difficult to sneak off to our sublevel lab?" Mr. Krei asked, wondering if it was too risky to allow the government to be so close to their clandestine project. Hiro took a moment to think on this, he was surprised at what he was thinking, "Well, a clever mastermind did something similar and he was almost able to destroy all of San Fransokyo because he was able to hide his project all the way up to its completion."

The young boy was surprised to take "inspiration" from that demented man, Obake. But he could not deny that taking a cue out of Obake's playbook was a promising strategy to keep the project hidden. Obake was able to sneak around in plain sight and he was able to surreptitiously recreate and modify Lenore Shimamoto's machine without anyone realizing it until it was nearly too late. "We'll have them close by as to not suspect us even when they try to inspect our facility. Keep them close to be hidden in plain sight. And we can create an underwater railway and entrance into our sublevel lab. No one would even know we were on Akuma Island in the first place, even if they attempted to inspect our facility or secretly conducted surveillance on our coverup lab at the surface. Our project, itself, should go unhindered by any outside parties. We will be able to gather the necessary components and work on Silent Sparrow without issue regardless of the presence of authorities."

"You know? You'd be a terrifying mastermind if you were in the criminal underworld, Hiro," Mr. Krei commented, both worried but also quite impressed by the boy's vast potential. In a short time, the boy demonstrated that he could covertly take any information he wanted without hindrance and develop strategies that could mask his actual pursuits without anyone being the wiser. Truly, if the boy had wanted to pursue more nefarious activities, he could probably get away with it with little opposition. Mr. Krei was honestly quite wary of the boy, his intellect and curiosity were a volatile combination even while being an asset. But in cases like this, he had to keep faith that the boy genius was truly guided by his desire to help people. Surely, it was the reason he would risk himself constantly alongside the Big Hero 6 team.

To pursue such an undertaking, Hiro did personally find it odd that he had to partake in something that would be considered illegal by the government. Was it wrong to do? It reminded him of Baymax's honest concern when Hiro felt that he needed to involve himself in bot-fighting to determine who was responsible for the bot-fighter attacks. _It is the right thing to do, but it is illegal. I do not understand._ In truth, even though he had thought about explaining such a concept to his healthcare companion, he wasn't quite sure how to explain it to himself. Was it inherently wrong to disregard the law if it was for the benefit of others? Or simply the benefit of the few that he especially cared for, like Aunt Cass.

But this was Tadashi's original Baymax they were pursuing, it meant enough to him to even work with his brother's unintentional killer, Professor Callaghan. Baymax was a part of his brother and the world would benefit from having another Baymax to carry on Tadashi's dream. And not to mention, if he thought about it, he and the others were technically conducting illegal vigilante activities that could be condemned by official law enforcement. Even if the San Fransokyo Police Department actively persecuted them for 'superheroing', he felt like protecting people was still the right thing to do. By no means was he trying to justify himself as being infallible or always righteous, but he did feel that he was trying to do what he thought was right and would benefit the world.

As Professor Granville said, a part of what made Hiro who he is would be his ability to question authority and that he should be guided by Tadashi's wish to help people. The boy knew that if he veered off from his own "programming," he could easily fall into a morally dubious situation and potentially follow Obake's path. He hated to admit it, but his pursuit of the energy amplifier was a dangerous path that he shared with Obake. He was cautious of what his intellect would drive him to do. But this project, while technically illegal, is not meant to harm anyone and retrieving Baymax would help all of them heal. In this way, Hiro was willing to commit to this despite the potential risks and ramifications. He was risking himself by partaking in this. What worried him is that he was risking his friends for involving them. Perhaps this was a selfish desire, to feel even a semblance closer to Tadashi through the original Baymax's return?

He had to wonder if the lengths he was willing to see this through was right or wrong, was it truly to just help himself heal or did he really want to share Tadashi's Baymax with the world? He did not heed Professor Granville before, it made him cautious of his own nature that paralleled Bob Aken's path that led to the birth of "Obake." It made Hiro cautious of what his intellect could do if unchecked. Just because he could do certain things, does not mean he should actually pursue them.

He admitted it was a risky project that he and Abigail are pursuing, but he had to see it through. In order to hide it well, he had to be able to think like a secretive mastermind much like his cunning adversary, Obake. He had to think like someone who was beyond authority but was tempered by self-imposed limitations and ethical principles. Unlike Obake's twisted ideology, Hiro believed that Icarus was not meant to fly close to the sun, even if he had better wings to allow him to.

Hiro once flew too close to a star that he helped create, he saw that your passions and intellect can lead to unfathomable consequences. A lesson that he learned the hard way but was lucky enough to rectify his mistake in time, unlike the unfortunate Lenore Shimamoto who witnessed the destruction caused by her pursuits that were well-intentioned. He did not think himself above the law per se, but he knew that he could truly make a difference in the world so long as he had the will and capability to do it morally. And to him, sometimes that meant being above the prevailing authority.

Abigail thought about Hiro's suggestion and was impressed by his rogue-like thought process. She chimed in, "Well, it's exactly that type of thinking that we need to get this going without any hitches. I have to agree with Hiro, that's probably our best way to skate under the radar. And I mean, skate just under it. But keeping the government within arm's length could make them less suspicious if all they see is you trying to help them with your project, Alistair."

Alistair sighed as he thought about this approach. He knew this was all risky, but the strategy was admittedly quite sound. Far better than trying to break Callaghan out of prison and keep authorities on high alert. "So, what do you think, Alistair? I know you have the money, means and the connections. Think you can pull it off?" Abigail inquired, her tone intentionally challenging him while stoking his ego of the assets he possessed. This seemed to excite Krei, rising to the challenge, "Of course I can pull this off. Not the first time I bought people's allegiances or paid for favors."

Hiro and Abigail smiled, relieved that they had developed a strategy to allow this to happen. Krei continued, "I have to warn you both, this will take some time to talk to the right folks and convince them to get on board with this. It's not easy to get a criminal freed temporarily. And, need I remind you, that the construction of our new Silent Sparrow site will take quite some time to complete. Even with Hiro's microbots, which has rapidly increased our progress, it will be a while before we can actually start rebuilding Silent Sparrow."

Both Abigail and Hiro nodded towards the business executive. "We understand, Alistair. I really do appreciate everything you are doing to make this even possible," Abigail said with genuine gratitude, which truly made Krei feel fulfilled and happy by helping her in this project. He felt that he owed his old colleague, this felt like positive strides to honoring his debt to her. Abigail continued, "And besides, there are other parts of the project I am sure we can work on in the meantime."

Hiro twirled his tablet in between his hands, the boy smiled proudly, "Actually, there's something I've been working on for you, Abigail. I'll need your help on putting it together, of course." Abigail was pleasantly curious, wondering what the boy genius was working on this time. "That sounds exciting, what can I help you with?" she asked.

"Well… we both know how things are on the other side. I think it's time we start thinking about how you are going to be able to operate in that environment. And… I'm thinking we can make you your own suit. More like an aerial frame suit that can maneuver better than anything you've piloted before," Hiro exclaimed, knowing that Abigail had piloted an outstanding array of aircrafts. She smiled, excited at the boy's claim and rushed him towards the elevator to get started at his lab, "Well, that is something I can get on board with. Oh, and really thank you again, Alistair. Bye!"

They rushed over to the elevator, suddenly leaving Krei to think on what he needed to do. "Oh, yeah. Good talk, you too! I'll just… figure this out." He muttered to himself as he realized the two had abruptly left him. He pressed on his intercom button, "Assistant? Assistant?!" Judy responded promptly but with a hint of disinterest, "What can I do for you, Mr. Krei?" He sighed, "I'll need you to arrange… a lot of meetings…"

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**Author's Note: Was re-watching a lot of Season 1, there were so many themes and concepts that I enjoyed picking apart and analyzing. Obake's speech about Icarus always fascinated me, along with the parallels Hiro and Bob Aken shared. And there was always the theme that Hiro could have gone a different path had Tadashi not reigned him towards SFIT. Just as Hiro could have taken the vengeance route that Callaghan pursued, he did not. Hiro is constantly seeing the potential dark path he can move towards if he is not careful or supported by his loved ones. We are also yet to see how Hiro and the gang will handle Chief Cruz and his ridiculous sentiment that they don't need Big Hero 6 with a competent police force. But I suspect that Hiro would eventually realize that authority did not always determine what is right or necessary to help others. So… I enjoyed writing this chapter for its themes. Hope you are enjoying the story thus far. Thanks for the read!**


	14. Behind the Kabuki Mask

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 14: Behind the Kabuki Mask**

The holographic display on several screens flashed and shifted, strewn throughout Hiro's internship lab at the Krei Tech Industries main headquarters building. Corresponding synchronously with the movements of the young boy's hands as three-dimensional holographic images enlarged and rotated.

"If we are going to do this, we are going to have to create for you the right suit for the job. But I need to know your preferences and style. It's how I designed each of the team's suits," the boy remarked, his gaze never releasing from the work in front of him.

"Preferences and style, huh? Well, I think it would help you if you saw what I have piloted before. Perhaps my favorite project thus far. Instead of telling you, how about I show you?" Abigail responded, pulling out her phone and removing a chip out of a secure compartment of her device. Curious, Hiro looked over to see Abigail walk towards the computer with a data chip in her hand. There was a rather intricate design that Hiro was not able to see on the chip.

"I pulled a favor from my friends at Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries. When they heard what I was up to, they graciously provided me with the secured schematics of the APOLLO project. Mind you, this is for our eyes only. Also, came along with a friend I would like you to meet, Hiro," Abigail smiled as she placed her data chip into a computer port. She was grateful for the support of the development team, especially the support from Mr. Tanaka himself, whom was adamant that he would support her in her next endeavor. Indeed, with this generous gesture he surely has.

A loading bar appeared shortly, as the screen processed the data chip. Suddenly, an intricately designed icon surfaced on the holographic screen. Within the intricate circuitry of interwoven lines formed Norse runes along a digital face. Hiro studied its features as it created the visage of a one-eyed, bearded face, complete with a winged crown sitting atop its head. "Hello ODIN, it's been quite some time," Abigail beamed excitedly as she placed a hand along her hip and gazed at the holographic image of her "partner."

"/Voice identification verified. Authority recognized. User: 'Callaghan, Abigail'. Callsign 'APOLLO 1.' ODIN advanced combat A.I. systems have been assigned to support future operations with authorization from Tanaka, Shinji. Awaiting further instructions/" the A.I. responded with monotonous steadiness and formality. "I see you are still as stiff as ever. Good to have you with us, ODIN," she chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders and lifted her arms, dismissing the A.I.'s systematic response.

"Hello, ODIN. I'm Hiro Hamada, a friend of Abigail's. Looks like I will be working with you too. Hope you don't mind me looking through your files," Hiro smiled warmly as he greeted the military A.I. that populated his holographic monitor. Abigail noted how he interacted with the A.I., his eyes driven by curiosity at the sight of new tech and almost regarding it like a living person.

But with the bond he has grown to share with Baymax, perhaps a part of him really did believe that artificial intelligences could potentially have something of a "spirit" coded within their programming. Or perhaps a part of the human personality who designed it... a piece of their legacy and will existing within the construct. Perhaps more so for an A.I. like Baymax, ODIN was certainly advanced for his combat-oriented functions but lacked a personality that reflected a "spirit" or a semblance of its designer. Moreover, ODIN had an entire team to program him. Unlike Baymax, who was personally designed by Tadashi, often reflecting his creator's ideals and principles through the lens of medical applications.

"/Authority not recognized. Require authentication from APOLLO 1. Requesting authentication to grant file access to 'Hamada, Hiro.'/" the A.I. formally inquired of Abigail. At this, the young woman stepped forward and rested her hands along the desk to speak clearly and concisely to ODIN. "APOLLO 1 approves file access request to Hamada, Hiro. Authentication phrase: 'Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater,'" Abigail responded in a formal, deliberate manner. Hiro raised an eyebrow, curious at her choice of words for her secure passcode.

"/Acknowledged. Authentication approved. Granting file access to 'Hamada, Hiro.' Requesting callsign for user and approved level of access./" ODIN once again formally requested a response from Abigail. Hiro looked towards her, noting that she was wearing that playful and conniving expression he had learned to dread. "User 'Hamada, Hiro.' Callsign designation as 'Captain Cutie.' Authorize Captain Cutie the same level access as APOLLO 1. Confirm?" she responded, smiling at the young boy whose eyes narrowed in annoyance at the callsign she decided on. "/Acknowledged. Callsign 'Captain Cutie' assigned unrestricted access privileges./"

She looked at Hiro, "What? You can thank Karmi for such an inspired name." Hiro's face scowled, "Yeah I guess I have a lot of things to 'thank' her for." But Hiro was surprised that Abigail would provide him the same access and authorization as her, it was a subtle gesture of trust. "You're okay with me having the same level of access to ODIN's systems as you?" He inquired with a curious tone.

Abigail chuckled, "Well, I trust you. Don't want you to be hindered by anything. But to be honest, whether I give you access or not. I figure that you are probably capable of breaching even ODIN's encrypted files. So, why not?" Hiro smiled with a hint of pride, appreciating her recognition of his skills, "Well, still. Thank you. Hmm… Now where to begin…" The holographic screen suddenly cascaded with various files sequenced along the expansive transparent display. Hiro grinned as he scanned through the numerous files, ready to dive in.

"ODIN was designed for combat operations. He and I worked together to help finalize and validate the APOLLO Project. Just like the mythical Norse god, he actively seeks information and knowledge. In a pinch, he can provide you with real-time situational awareness to help you make split-second decisions. His function is to constantly analyze situational data and translate it into relevant tactical user data. You could say it is a tactical marriage of human and machine, so to speak. Only thing I never liked was his bland personality or lack thereof… I always asked the development team to make him… less robotic and give him some personality. But he was developed for military operations, so I guess that wouldn't be appropriate...," Abigail scoffed, showing a disdain for the highly-formal constraints of the government agencies that this technology was developed for.

"Well, if you don't mind. Maybe I can look 'under the hood'?" Hiro smiled as he looked towards Abigail, his expression awaiting her permission with a childlike anticipation as if he was ready to unravel a present. "By all means, have at it. You have complete access and free reign to look through what you'd like," Abigail waved her hand, curious what the boy genius had in mind. Swiping the holographic files across with his hand, Hiro moved the transparent files off of the screen as he stopped to access a particular folder. In this folder, a massive cacophony of program coding displayed on the holographic screen. Abigail's domain lay in aircraft design and their operation. Seeing what ODIN was ultimately made of was like seeing a whole other language, strewn cryptically with intricate numbers, word-phrase inputs and symbols.

"Well, this is some impressive tech. Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries put some serious coding work into ODIN," Hiro admitted, as his eyes quickly scanned through ODIN's programming script. "But for our purposes, I think I can do better. Just give me some time to make 'some' adjustments," he smirked haughtily as he extended his arms forward, interlocking his fingers to crack them. Based on his self-assured confidence, he did not simply "think" he could do better. The boy genius was certain he could do better than some of the most brilliant minds working within the private military industrial complex. Excited at the possibility of personalizing and upgrading ODIN's systems, Abigail placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder. "Now, that is something I would like to see, kid," she grinned.

Suddenly, Hiro seemingly paused himself and lightly tapped his fist atop his open hand as if he had a realization. "But first, what we came into the lab for in the first place…" Hiro stopped himself suddenly, realizing that his mind was firing off into too many different directions and he needed to focus back on the first task: designing the aerial frame suit that Abigail will use in the other side to maneuver and help retrieve Baymax. Once again, he sifted through various files within the secure data chip. Opening various files to observe and absorb the necessary information he could use for his project. One file caught his eyes, opening it to reveal the designs of the pilot's helmet in the APOLLO.

"Neurotransmitter, huh? Interesting… Hmm, Krei Tech Industries…why am I not surprised?" Hiro's eyes narrowed with a brief moment of disgust as he saw the distinct "K" logo of Krei Tech Industries hovering over the helmet's neurotransmitter components. He should have known that Mr. Krei would attempt to replicate his neurotransmitter design, despite all of the chaos his neurotransmitter and microbots had already caused for them both. The boy scanned through the schematics of the Krei Tech-designed neurotransmitter. Pity his team seemed to have rushed it or could not develop it fully, it wasn't quite there yet.

Hiro just shrugged, "It's a cheap knock-off of my design. But for the APOLLO project I have to admit Mr. Tanaka was brilliant to use it for seamless handling of an aircraft's flight control systems. That's an inspired application of that tech." Abigail smiled as she thought about her flight in the APOLLO, "It's the closest feeling I've had to feeling like I was actually flying and not necessarily in an aircraft." Hiro looked up to Abigail with a cocky grin. "Well then. Now, this is something I can certainly improve on. After all! Just can't beat the genius who designed it in the first place. This system will truly feel like it's an extension of your own body with far more efficient neural input processing and near-instantaneous control output."

Abigail chuckled and shook her head, realizing that the boy genius was acutely aware of his talents and unafraid to flaunt it at times. She supposed it was well-deserved, the young boy potentially had an intellect that surpassed many of the brilliant minds she worked with before. With that being said, she has worked with the industry's best in both private and government domains. She observed as the young boy packaged up the "neurotransmitter folder" and digitally threw it to another holographic monitor on the other side of the room. He was saving it as another small project for him to work on later.

"And now, onto the fun stuff," Hiro mused as he pulled up the schematic blueprints for the APOLLO prototype aircraft itself. With his hands gripping the holographic designs, he threw the image towards that same holographic monitor across the other side of the lab. The boy sat back from his rolling seat, lifted his feet on the edge of his desk as a platform and quickly launched himself across the room. His seat rolling across, he casually transitioned to the next module he would work on. Abigail smiled and shook her head, amused to see the boy in his element, as she casually walked across the room to follow him.

"But, let's just use only what we need," Hiro mused, as his hands rapidly pressed several points of the holographic representation of the prototype aircraft. To Abigail's surprise, much of the aircraft's design was discarded as the boy swiped it towards a digital trash can. The young boy then rapidly pointed and clamped on the remaining components, minimizing and shifting them. Tossing them to the side and haphazardly organizing them in a system that only he would seem to understand. Abigail figured there was a method to the madness, but only he would be able to discern his own rhyme and reason for placing the numerous parts where they were. His brain seemed to function on system of organized chaos and spontaneous creative flow. He definitely did not have the same rigid, overtly orderly organizational system as someone like Wasabi.

Picking up a scanner device on his desk, he pointed it towards Abigail. "Umm, arms up please," he requested as Abigail's eye brow raised on her face. The boy laughed lightly as he stood up and moved his arms outstretched directly to the side, showing her what he needed her to do. She shrugged and raised her arms to her side as Hiro scanned her from head-to-toe with a wide-spanning holographic laser. The monitor populated with a three-dimensional figure in her image with body measurement specifications and accurate contouring of her body.

Hiro sat back down and spun his chair towards the holographic screen. Hiro waved his hands from the remaining APOLLO components strewn around, taking each individual component and manipulating them. With each one, once he was satisfied, he would move them and combined them with Abigail's holographic figure. Working rapidly and methodically, he personally tailored each aspect of the simulated armor with design cues from the prototype aircraft. Abigail noted it was all like watching someone conducting a symphony, as the boy was entranced in his work. He was in a state of creative flow, enjoying every moment of his work.

Abigail had intensively studied aerospace engineering concepts during her time at SFIT and she had worked with some of the most brilliant minds in aeronautic design. She was thoroughly impressed at his aptitude to absorb and comprehend concepts. Despite not specializing in the field of aeronautics, he was absorbing rather advanced design concepts and using them to fit his needs. Before her very eyes, he was designing something that often took entire development teams to draw up within the span of several days. The cohesive designs of a fully functional, flight-capable aerial frame suit were coming together in surreal time-lapsed looking manner.

Witnessing Hiro at work, Abigail realized what Tadashi and even her father must have seen in him. This young boy had immense potential, with the right resources and challenges, he will most certainly make great scientific strides. The boy was truly gifted in not only robotics but applying his vision and translating it into the real world almost seamlessly. As well-accomplished as even her father was, who was regarded as the man who laid the very foundations for the field of robotics, she knew that this boy could surpass him. He was a visionary truly ahead of his time and age. She had to wonder where his career will take him as time goes by.

At only fourteen years old, he will surely surpass even her father in this field. It was by no surprise that Tadashi had constantly attempted to redirect Hiro towards utilizing his talents and intellect. Such an innate aptitude, he was clearly a savant and to have wasted his talents on trivial pursuits like bot-fighting would have been tragic. Tadashi was right to challenge his younger brother to expand himself through attending SFIT and applying that big head of his to solve the most complex of problems. Admittedly, it was truly an experience to be able to observe him at work, firsthand.

"And... that… should do it. What do you think? Pretty sick, huh?" he beamed with pride at his work, looking to Abigail for her feedback and approval. "I'm impressed, genius boy. You really have a gift. But it seems you are well aware of that," she smirked while crossing her arms and looking at the designs. The beginning designs of an aerial frame suit were slowly rotating within the holographic image, Abigail was ecstatic to see what she would be piloting this time. Hiro smirked, "Was there ever any doubt?"

But she noted that there was one aspect that it would not be complete without. "Hmm. It's almost perfect. But can I make one aesthetic suggestion? You said you wanted to know my style, right?" she requested of the young genius. If this was to be her personalized suit, and not simply a design for the use by another agency or private company, she wanted it to truly reflect her. Curious, the boy genius agreed, "Yeah, of course. What would you like me to change?"

"I would like the helmet's visor to be able to polarize and show a specific design when it does fully polarize," she suggested. "Yeah, I can do that. What design did you have in mind?" Hiro assured her, willing to accommodate Abigail's design request.

"A Kabuki mask," she revealed, much to Hiro's surprise. The boy associated the design with Professor Callaghan, to his dismay. He immediately thought of her father, thinking about his more sinister persona as Yokai's intentionally menacing visage was characterized by the Kabuki mask. But there had to be a reason? It had to have some meaning for the Callaghan's. He then remembered her choice for her personal authentication passcode to ODIN, she had referred to the Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater found in downtown San Fransokyo.

"What does... it mean? Your father... he wore it, too… So why the Kabuki mask?" Hiro asked, although a bit unsteadily at the thought of Professor Callaghan's use of it. Abigail closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a smile on her face in understanding of his concerned expression. She patted her hand lightly on his shoulder to ease him.

"I know you must be... perhaps disturbed of my preference because of my father. I'm well aware that he wore it, too… But the Kabuki mask means a lot to me personally… When I was a little girl... My father and mother used to take me with them to the Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater in downtown San Fransokyo almost religiously," Abigail recalled, closing her eyes again as she tried to remember and envision it that far-off memory she was so fond of. It was a time that her entire family enjoyed together, a feeling that she longed to feel again.

"Every week, they had a new play performed by Kabuki dancers. For some reason, I just couldn't help but love the imagery of the Kabuki actors and their dances... I even painted their mask design onto my bots when I used to go bot-fighting... It was something I shared with my parents, and ever since my mom died… looking at the Kabuki mask helped me feel connected with that wonderful part of our lives that we shared together. It reminds me of some of my fondest memories with my family."

Hiro looked at Abigail, understanding the meaningful connection she held with the Kabuki mask. That it drew her closer to her late mother, to her father, to a fond memory. But Hiro was a bit unnerved, he perhaps now had an understanding of why Professor Callaghan chose the visage of a Kabuki mask to characterize his phantom.

In his grief, it was a twisted, painful reminder of what he had lost and sought to avenge. In a way, it was a way for him to truly avenge his loss of Abigail, embodying a phantom that wore his grief on his very face, so to speak. It reminded Hiro that the former professor, before his descent towards murderous hatred, was a good man and father that simply could not fathom or cope with the loss of his loved ones. The memory of those he lost was both comforting but haunting. The Kabuki mask, for Callaghan, represented the ghosts of his loved ones that shared the memory of the Kabuki theater.

Without saying a word, Hiro searched for the Kabuki design and placed its image overlay onto the helmet's visor display. The holographic representation of the suit now had the distinct painted visage of the haunting Kabuki mask on its helmet. But understanding the sentimental meaning behind the Kabuki mask, Hiro hoped that this would help him re-associate his perception of the design with Abigail's positive memories rather than the murderous face of Yokai.

"Thank you, Hiro," she simply said, grateful for his understanding. Looking at the design schematics, Hiro put his hands on his waist beaming with pride at another of his works steadily coming together. Abigail lightly punched his arm, "Well done, genius boy. You've really outdone yourself. Looks like it's ready for production. I just can't wait to put it to action."

Hiro rubbed his arm tenderly, "Me too. But Mr. Krei's 3D printing lab equipment will take some time to produce the suit components to our specifications. Then I'll do some fine tuning by hand and you'll be airborne in no time. And that's just the beginning of course, but I'm sure you're used to prototype developments. There's so much more I plan to add to it."

Hiro paused briefly, his stomach growled lightly. "But... in the meantime...Umm... I'm really hungry and can go for some Yaki tacos right about now," the young genius laughed sheepishly as he rubbed his stomach.

"I guess putting that brain of yours to work must really build an appetite. Alright, let's go feed that genius brain of yours. My treat," Abigail laughed as she spun Hiro's chair around to abruptly nudge him out of his seat and onto his feet to his surprise. "Yaki tacos, it is, boy genius."

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**Author's Note: What's Big Hero 6 without some kind of invention scene and Hiro doing his thing? As a note, I will hopefully have the time to sketch out some concept art for Abigail's aerial frame suit and share it somehow. But thank you again for reading and keeping up with this series. **


	15. A Loyal Club Member

**Author's Note: I apologize if these are coming out perhaps too quickly. Hopefully this allows someone to binge read my chapters if they enjoy it. But thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

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**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 15: A Loyal "Club" Member**

On the outskirts of San Fransokyo, a feral shadow shifted quickly among the abandoned buildings, leaping between the rooftops of a quiet industrial area. The shadow eventually settled at an abandoned warehouse. The feline-like beast slashed through the rooftop of the building with its shimmering blue claws, cutting through it with ease. With precision, the creature landed atop debris and rubble found within the wide-open warehouse. Seemingly in a fit of uncontrolled rage, it continued to jump from wall to wall, while swiping at its surroundings. Eventually, landing in the middle of the warehouse, seemingly attempting to control itself again.

The creature propped up on its four limbs, breathing heavily towards the floor as it felt sudden changes in its body. Its skin began to shift from a starkly grey appearance to a fair-colored complexion, its long extended black-and-blue hair began to shorten back to a more well-managed length. The creature was growling but began to breathe heavily, its breaths becoming slower and controlled; more human sounding rather than beast-like. With her feline-like eyes, accentuated by her slit pupils surrounded by yellow sclera, she watched her hands as they returned to normal and her graphene claws receded.

Momokase attempted to calm her breathing to a controlled state, continuing to stare at her hands as she processed what had just happened to her. "Bested… yet again," the woman scoffed with subdued rage, quickly remembering that she was fighting with the Big Hero 6 team at her "Mystery Dinner" event. Despite her honed skill and her newfound feral abilities, she had to admit that those kids have proven to be a challenge for her.

Her gaze scanned through her surroundings, noting the massive distorted metal debris around her with fallen catwalks and several beams still haphazardly sticking up from the concrete floor. Soon after, she saw these structures suddenly collapse into precisely cut sections as her surroundings withered away. The aftermath of her feral rage cutting through everything around her. She grinned sinisterly, looking at her hands as she willfully extended her nails to reveal her graphene-like claws from her fingertips. As they manifested, Momokase could feel a sharp and burning sensation as if tiny shards of glass were coursing through her blood vessels and towards her fingertips.

It was a painful process, but the woman had a disciplined, high tolerance threshold for pain. But honestly, it was the growing sense of power that had excited her enough to disregard these excruciating sensations. She mused to herself, "Perhaps, I just need to get used to this…" The woman looked around, trying to remember why she would even decide to go to this location, even when she lacked conscious control in her feral state.

"Hmm…lovely," she smiled as she pleasantly realized where she had found herself. Walking purposefully towards a heap of rubble and debris, she swiftly swiped at it. Quickly cutting it into small sections and projecting it out of the way. The woman knelt down and quickly created a precise circle with a single claw, forming a neat hole that revealed a hidden ladder leading to a pitch-black abyss.

Momokase did not hesitate to leap into the hole and shortly landed silently at the bottom, looking around as the room progressively became illuminated by the green glow of computer monitors and equipment. It was as if they were "awakening" to her presence. "Well, our 'little club' may have disbanded, but I am sure you wouldn't mind if I use some of your toys while you're gone?" she spoke with a peculiar tone of familiarity, seemingly directing herself towards a main monitor in this hidden room. She smiled as she gazed up at the main monitor to see visage of a distinctly familiar one-eyed demon with its tongue slithering downward. The ominous sigil of her late colleague, Obake.

The demented mastermind had prepared several hideouts to operate out of, authorizing Momokase to utilize his equipment and intel as she saw fit. So long as it aligned with his goals, of course. Her graphene claws receded, as she walked casually to the main console. "It's a shame your plans did not succeed, I was curious what would become of the city once it was rebuilt and we held its fate within our hands…" she said, as if she was talking directly with that deranged man. "But as intelligent and gifted as you were, it was your obsession with mentoring that boy that proved to be your downfall."

Momokase remembered her last interaction with her colleague, being told to retrieve the boy so that he could mentor him to follow his path. She didn't see the point to pursue the boy further, but perhaps to simply eliminate him and his friends. Unfortunately for them, the boy was brilliant and resourceful, and he ultimately prevented their great catastrophe from coming to fruition. In truth, she had seen the boy and his team to be a persistent threat. She wondered if they had just eliminated them entirely from the playing field before… where would they be now? Certainly, things weren't as entertaining now as they had been when she was working with Obake.

After she had been freed from prison by the enigmatic and deceptively ruthless Liv Amara to render her expert thieving services, Momokase decided to check their former headquarters deep within the waters of the San Fransokyo bay. It was apparent that the structure had collapsed under the massive shock from the turbulent waves caused by the "Kaiju cannonball." Based on what was left of the compound, she believed that no human could possibly have made it out of that destruction alive, not even a man as capable as Obake. If he was indeed still within the structure during its collapse, Momokase was almost certain that she had seen the last of that man.

"But I assure you. I joined our 'little club' to eliminate our mutual enemies. And even now, you will help me to do just that," she mused, as she sifted through the hideout's assortment of equipment. Finding a scan jammer device in one of the compartments, she promptly wrapped it around her wrist. It would be essential for her to maneuver without the robot's surveillance capabilities causing her trouble. Her gaze immediately focused on a specialized cabinet in the corner of the room, she grinned as she opened it. Within it, an armory of variously-sized graphene blades were strewn neatly along the cabinet. Momokase affectionately stroked her hand along the flat surface of the blue, translucent blade.

It was always her weapon and tool of choice. Despite its paper-thin thickness, it was proportionally a hundred times stronger than the strongest quality steel. It was the most precise blade in existence, composed of a crystalline allotrope of carbon atoms that were densely-packed in a hexagonal pattern at the atomic level. She had honed her skill with them, for combat or cooking. In terms of swordsmanship, Momokase had considered them an extension of herself. But now, thanks to Liv's "gift," these blades were literally an extension of her body. Donning her trademark black-and-blue sneaking suit, she still opted to carry several graphene knives and her graphene katana within her custom-designed sheaths. She slipped her blue eye mask over her face.

"Hmm… But the robot was still able to track me through my blades…" she thought to herself. She was well aware that Baymax was capable of scanning for the specific heat signature conducted by her blades. It's how they were able to track her movements into the SecuriTech building. By the graphene blades' physical properties, there was no way to stop the robot from scanning for them or somehow masking them from his sensors. But she was certain the resources were here to disrupt the boy and his robot's scanning ability somehow. She continued to look through the large cabinet, noting that Obake had personally stockpiled a massive amount of graphene blades for her use. "Such a gentleman to leave me with all these toys," she remarked as she stared at the numerous blue, translucent blades, regarding them as Obake's farewell gift.

There was an even larger supply of graphene shards, the very same kind that he had snuck into her prison cell when he helped her escape. Momokase strolled through the underground compound, noting that the man had planned for many contingencies and had many bases of operation if he so needed. The expansive hideout housed even more of his equipment, Momokase now looking at the numerous automated drones and rogue "buddy guards" housed within several crates. Momokase patted the security drone originally designed by Krei Tech Industries, "And these should do just the trick. But I'm going to need even more."

His state-of-the-art equipment and vast hidden resources were truly versatile enough to suit her needs. But truthfully, she recognized that what made Obake particularly dangerous was the knowledge and actionable intelligence he amassed to make his plans largely successful. The woman walked towards the monitor screen that bore Obake's symbol, activating it and sifting through his amassed data that he compiled. "Hmm... you always were quite thorough..." she remarked as she searched through the files. Among them, one had particularly caught her eyes. With a distinct "K" symbol appearing on a folder, she grinned satisfyingly while looking through the various hacked files that were stolen from Alistair Krei's personal database.

She had a personal vendetta of sorts against that man, shuddering at the thought of his etiquette in handling her high-quality sushi work. She prided herself as being the best sushi chef in the city, it was not simply food she created but rather works of art and Krei had trifled them. To Momokase, this was an inexcusable affront to her art. Obake's stolen data would allow her to further exploit Krei Tech as starters for her payback, she smirked, "And that is why you don't drown the finest otoro sushi in soy sauce, Krei-san." Allowing her eyes to shift into her cat-like slit eyes, she was able to sift through the files even quicker as her eyes were better equipped to process it all.

Momokase suddenly paused her search through the sequence of files. Suddenly, the monitor screen was populated by the schematics of a device of particular interest to her and the location where it was being securely housed. It will take her some time to get all that she needed, but once again Obake's intel would fuel her plans. This was her key to baiting Big Hero 6 into another showdown, and should she succeed, perhaps even honor her former colleague. Grinning sinisterly at what she had found, "Hmm… A disintegration device… Well, it's certainly no machine that can create a star. But I'm sure that will do quite nicely for the job."

* * *

"The night was eerily quiet for our heroes. Not a disturbance in sight, the scene was ripe for something big and bad to happen… because it's been really boring these last few night patrols.," Fred narrated, often to get himself excited for night patrolling but it was evident that the lack of activity was making him both bored and on edge. He continued to super-jump from building top to building top, constantly scanning the area with fervor.

"/Your desire for something big and bad to happen for your entertainment is alarming!/" said his personal "Fred-sitter" Mini-Max who was clad in his blue miniature Baymax-style armor. His miniature thrusters allowed him to fly next to Fred as he jumped from building to building.

"Well, I mean, c'mon! Are all of the criminals and supervillains going to sleep early now? Do we need to do morning patrols now, because I don't like waking up early!" Fred continued to complain while in mid-air, nearly missing his landing as he tried to hop on top of a billboard that happened to have his father in his Boss Awesome disguise on it. Fred looked down at the giant image of his father, "Dad, I bet you never had a dull moment as Boss Awesome."

"/Your father has the highest-crime fighting record of all time! He never had a dull moment because he would travel further out of San Fransokyo to look for crime and help people in need!/" Mini-Max responded to the Kaiju-suit wearing hero, which seemed to excite him.

"You are right, Mini-Max! We should go further out and look for evil-doers!" Fred exclaimed, yelling over the team internal communications. "Umm… no thanks Fred. I've never really been outside of San Fransokyo and I don't think tonight will be the night to change that. I do have to make it home at a reasonable time just in case Aunt Cass comes up to check on me," Hiro responded to his friend as he continued to fly between the city's tall buildings atop Baymax. He could hear Fred grumble in disappointment, which made Hiro chuckle.

"Besides, there has been way too much going on lately. I'm actually just glad to go fly around and enjoy the nighttime city view for once. You know, without having to worry about villains attacking?" Hiro continued, looking out towards the city skyline and enjoying the sensation of simply flying around with Baymax without feeling under duress. Between his school work at SFIT, internship at Krei Tech and his work with Abigail on their project, it had been something of a treat for the young boy to simply enjoy a peaceful flight.

He was nearly complete in developing Abigail's prototype aerial frame suit for a testing phase and he was constantly keeping tabs on his security systems monitoring Krei's use of his microbots. Abigail did not want to overwhelm Hiro with too many tasks, she had actually hoped he would take some time to rest or do something fun. But with how much he is involving himself in these obligations, he admitted that he could not simply forget his obligations to actively patrol and protect the people of San Fransokyo. No matter what was going on personally, he felt that it was his duty to keep "superheroing." The team usually rotated in smaller teams of two to three members for the night patrols, allowing the others to rest or be on standby if they are truly needed. This night was Hiro, Baymax and Fred's turn to night patrol.

"/Fred, it is recommended to do activities that you enjoy to properly manage your stress levels. For example, Hiro's therapy for stress includes flying./" Baymax chimed in, attempting to advise Fred on the peaceful situation. Hiro simply smiled as he looked down at his flying healthcare companion, "That's right, buddy."

"Yeah, well it's been several days since we actually got to fight a supervillain. And that's my stress relief therapy! And the last fight was a doozy with Momokase. Who I still wonder how she got her 'Phase two' upgrades? I have to admit; graphene nails are pretty cool. But I wonder how she scratches herself though?" Fred pondered as he tried to picture Momokase being frustrated at not being able to scratch an itch without worrying about cutting herself.

"/Very carefully is how Momokase would scratch herself!" Mini-Max offered an answer to the suit-wearing hero. "You are so right, Mini-Max," Fred agreed rather seriously, as if it was a question worth thinking deeply about.

"/I am detecting suspicious activity at the shipping yard,/" Baymax suddenly alerted the heroes. Immediately, Freddy squealed with joy, "Oh yeah, time for some hero action. Looks like we have a shipment to catch!" Baymax cocked his head curiously, "/I do not see how it would be safe for you to catch a shipment. The shipping crates are very heavy, weighing approximately 2,300 kilograms on their own and can hold up to a payload capacity of 25,000 kilograms. I do not recommend catching them./"

"Yeah… I'm going to need that in pounds, please? I don't use kilograms…" Fred responded on the internal communications. "Fred… that's really heavy. All you need to know… but not important right now. C'mon, hop onto Baymax and we'll check this out," Hiro stated as Baymax flew close to Fred to pick him up and adjust their heading towards the shipping yard. Meanwhile, Mini-Max remained in Fred's hands since his miniature thrusters would not be able to keep up with Baymax's flight speed.

As they approached the shipping yard, they noticed that there were several holes within many of the shipping containers with objects flying out of them but promptly disappearing from view. Hiro quickly noted that the containers were all Krei Tech Industries freight containers. He knew right away what they were dealing with, but there were way more shipping containers opened and they could be facing an overwhelming amount of "buddy guards."

Hiro tapped the side of his helmet, saying unsteadily "Umm… Gogo? I think we're going to need that back-up right about now…" Shortly, they heard Gogo respond, "Suiting up, on the way soon." Hiro sighed, realizing this was not going to be one of the peaceful night flights he was hoping for.

They heard Honey Lemon checking in, "What are we going up against, Hiro?" The young hero chuckled somewhat nervously as they got closer and saw a seemingly endless stream of buddy guards pouring out of the crates, "Umm… Buddy guards… Lots and lots of buddy guards." In the background, they could hear Wasabi shuddering, "Could be Noodle Burger Boy again. I don't think I'm mentally prepared to face more flying dumplings." Hiro thought that Wasabi could be right, although there was not yet any sign of the culprit activating all of these buddy guards, he had to guess that this was probably Noodle Burger Boy and Trina's doing.

Now within range, the buddy guards that were still visible began to move towards the heroes. "Well I hope they do turn into dumplings! Because I prefer them to be fried!" Fred exclaimed as he leapt off of Baymax's arm towards the ground while he breathed fire against several buddy guards on his way down. "Baymax! Rocket fist!" Hiro pointed towards the incoming swarm of buddy guards, Baymax promptly aiming his fist and projecting his rocket fist to destroy several of the buddy guards that were bunched closer together. They immediately began to disperse and present less targets of opportunity. "/Oh no./" Baymax simply said as the buddy guards began to shoot lasers at the two. "Baymax, evasive maneuvers!" Hiro commanded, Baymax immediately complying and conducting several evasive barrel rolls, climbing altitude and rapidly diving to avoid the lasers.

Hiro found himself grinning, enjoying the sensation of G-forces pulling at him and the adrenaline rush of narrowly dodging danger. He had to admit, this type of flying was also good for his mental health too. "/Hiro, your neurotransmitter levels are-/" Baymax pointed out seemingly nonchalantly while they were being fired at, shortly being interrupted by Hiro. "I know, buddy. Let's try to focus on this, though!" As they dodged, Baymax was able to continue his rocket fist attacks on the buddy guards. But to both Hiro and Fred's dismay, the remaining visible buddy guards were activating their flexible display technology to be invisible to the naked eye. "/Oh no. I can no longer target them as effectively,/" Baymax pointed out.

"Great! They're all going invisible! And I don't have any ketchup!" Fred exclaimed as he continued to jump around and breathe fire around him in hopes he would get some of the buddy guards. "/I do not see how making this situation tastier with ketchup would help us defeat the buddy guards?/" Mini-Max asked, he too was trying to protect Fred with his mini-maximum rocket fist. "Baymax! Rocket fist targets from the locations they are firing from!" Hiro exclaimed, prompting Baymax to attack where the buddy guards were firing from even when they were invisible. They were able to destroy several of them using this strategy. But they needed backup soon, there were a lot of Krei Tech crates open and undoubtedly a lot more drones than he had initially seen were floating around "invisible-style."

Hiro looked down to see the familiar yellow discs that were flying in the air towards the invisible drones currently firing. Occasionally, the discs would not only hit one drone but ricochet on others as Gogo magnetically retrieved her flying weapons. Her bubble gum popping beneath her visor, "Hiro, we're here. Well at least I am, Wasabi is still driving here with Honey Lemon." She sighed as she tried to persuade Wasabi to drive above the speed limit.

Eventually, a small grey car pulled up in between some crates, seeing a man in green come out of the driver's seat and being comically large in proportion to the small vehicle. "We're here, but I don't see any buddy guards! Just lasers, lots of lasers!" Wasabi exclaimed as he switched on his plasma blades from his forearms, quickly using them to defend himself from incoming lasers. He ran away from his car, pleading the buddy guards, "Just don't hit my car!"

"Hiro! Freddy! Baymax! We're here to help!" Honey Lemon notified them as she gained some distance away from Wasabi's car, prepping several chem-balls and using them to attack at the invisible drones while using other chem-balls on the fly to maneuver and defend herself. Hiro thought about Fred's odd ketchup comment, since he was not there when the first buddy guard malfunctioned and attacked the gang. After all, he was out stalking Mr. Krei and Aunt Cass on their date. But he figured that he probably used the red liquid to help locate the invisible buddy guard. This sparked an idea, Hiro called out to Honey Lemon, "Hey, Honey Lemon! You think you could serve our buddies some 'ketchup,' please?"

Honey Lemon understood what Hiro was asking for, remembering Fred's strategy to locate the buddy guards. "Okay, Hiro! Coming right up!" she yelled as she quickly keyed into her chem-purse for the desired chemicals she wanted. "Baymax, get ready to rocket fist," Hiro alerted his healthcare companion. "/All right. I am ready./" he simply responded, his fist now pointed in the direction above Honey Lemon. Promptly receiving a completed chem-ball, she tossed it in the air. "Now!" Hiro quickly commanded, Baymax immediately aimed at the chem-ball and fired his rocket fist when the ball was at the apex height of the throw. Baymax's rocket fist precisely impacted the chem-ball as a red, thick fluid burst out of it, showering the vicinity enough to land and identify the hidden buddy guards.

Some of the red thick fluid landed on Wasabi, who quickly shuddered, "Eww. Eww. No! That's helpful but disgusting!" He tried to wipe off some of the liquid on his suit in between his slashing of the now more visible automated drones. With the ones in the vicinity marked, the team was able to engage each of the drones more effectively until they realized there were no more buddy guards attacking them. Hiro commented on this unusual development, "That's odd. There should definitely be a lot more buddy guards attacking us right now." Wasabi immediately chimed in, "Yeah, but I'm definitely not going to complain about not having killer invisible floating drones shooting at me."

The majority of the buddy guards had probably become invisible and left the vicinity. So, Hiro went down to investigate the opened crates. He had really thought it could be Noodle Burger Boy or Trina, perhaps trying to amass some form of an artificial intelligence 'club' of killer machines." But as he observed all of the openings, he had noticed that these were opened up with extreme precision and with perfect circles. The team all went to observe the scene alongside Hiro, realizing who they were most likely dealing with.

Wasabi walked up close to touch the precisely cut openings, "Can only get this level of precision with graphene blades. We know what that means then-" He was immediately interrupted by the excited Fred, "Oh! So now Noodle Burger Boy is using graphene blades. It makes sense, he worked with Momokase and she probably taught him."

"Or Momokase was the one who did this?" Gogo chimed in snidely towards Fred. Simply nodding his head, Fred concurred so-to-speak, "Yeah, that sounds like another possibility. So we got two possible culprits now, the sword-wielding Noodle Burger Boy or Momokase!" Wasabi and Gogo looked at Fred with an incredulous expression. Honey Lemon chimed in, "Yeah, I think it's safe to say that Momokase did this, Freddy. But good thinking outside of the box!"

"But the question is: why would Momokase need all of those buddy guards? What is she planning?" Hiro voiced the team's concerns. He turned towards his armored healthcare companion, "Baymax! Can you scan for Momokase?" The visor of Baymax's helmet flooded with grids as he looked around, "/Unable to locate Momokase./"

Gogo offered, "She could be using a scan jammer again." Hiro nodded, looking to Baymax, "Any scanner interference, Baymax?" Baymax scanned again momentarily, "/I am detecting interference consistent with previous scan jammer use./" Wasabi looked towards Baymax, "Can you scan for graphene heat signatures again? She's got to have those blades on her."

"/Certainly. Scanning…/" Baymax continued to scan, but the image overlays and grids on his visor display were lighting up erratically. "Baymax? What's going on?" Hiro asked the robot, who appeared to be scanning for longer than usual. "/I am detecting 253 individual graphene heat signatures, moving at randomized directions at various locations throughout the city./" They all gasped in surprise, Fred exclaimed in his excitement, "Do you know what this means, guys!? Momokase has gotten her hands on a cloning device and now we have 253 'more-mokases' running around San Fransokyo. This just like when the 'Human Fist' had to face a hundred 'Dr. Gloves' until he found the real one in issue-."

Hiro politely interrupted Fred, "Actually, I think I know why she got all of those buddy guards... She's having them carry graphene on them to mask her actual whereabouts amongst a sea of graphene signatures. Couple that with them being invisible and no one would be the wiser that they were everywhere... Attempting to go after every single one would be difficult and ineffective, we'll need a better way to filter out the signatures to isolate which one is most likely her. She now has graphene coursing through her body somehow, with her sudden mutations. I don't know how she's doing that, but she can't hide herself anymore with that in her body. So she has to disrupt our scanning ability with all of the buddy guards. We have to be on our toes, we might not be able to take her down until she actually makes a move." Everyone agreed, but Baymax cocked his head, "/It is not recommended to stay on your toes, this could cause foot injuries. Standing flat along the soles of your feet is more effective and safe./"

Hiro chuckled, "Just an expression, buddy. Means staying alert and cautious, is all." Baymax stood up tall, seemingly surprised, "/Oh./" There wasn't much more they could do. They did not have an effective way to take down the diversionary buddy guards that were seemingly weaving throughout the city undetected. Nor did they have a means yet to discern which signature was actually Momokase. The team prepared to leave the battle scene as law enforcement were on their way. It was quite a night and they needed rest, they would just have to be prepared to act once Momokase becomes active again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, took this opportunity to create a chapter and story that fills the gap in the series: where and what has Momokase been doing throughout the season? Is she still mentally with it or does she have similar control over her powers like Mr. Sparkles? Second only to Obake, Momokase is one of my favorite villains and worked well with Obake. Seemed that he considered her to be a more competent and capable colleague. She's dangerous in direct combat but she also had the cunning to devise plans with Obake's intel. So, with her absence in the second season after "Seventh Wheel" I wanted her to have some part in this series.**


	16. The Lady Kabuki

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 16: The Lady Kabuki**

White sparks flared out as Hiro carefully pressed the white armor component into the circular saw, trimming the edges and fine-tuning it to his desired specifications. Satisfied, he shut down the saw and took the armor component towards an exoskeleton frame that was about to be completed. Its frame had a sleek and minimalistic design, Hiro had designed it much like Gogo's suit and took cues from the APOLLO aircraft design to allow for maximum aerodynamics and speed in maneuverability. Hiro took the white armor piece and placed it on the left shoulder of the exoskeleton, completing its shoulder guard.

"And that's that… Now to do some function checks and run some diagnostics. ODIN, can you conduct a range of motion test on the left upper extremity, please?" Hiro requested of the A.I., which was now being housed within the exoskeleton to run its functions. "/Most certainly, Captain Cutie,/" ODIN responded, much to Hiro's dismay at his callsign. He had made modifications to ODIN's coding to have more of a regal, sophisticated persona that inexplicably sounded like Fred's butler, Heathcliff. He was rather tempted to change ODIN's callsign for him too.

ODIN complied with Hiro's request and caused the exoskeleton to move its left arm in various directions to make sure that the armor was moving fluidly without any impingements. "/There appears to be no issues with the left arm's movements, good sir/" ODIN informed Hiro, who smiled with satisfaction. "Good! Well that's that for the body mechanics part of the equation. But onto the good stuff. ODIN, please conduct a movement test of the rear thruster systems at the shoulder blades at my command. Begin with yaw left and right movements…"

"/Very well, Captain Cutie. Conducting a movement test for both rear thrusters maneuvering systems. Yawing left… now right…/" ODIN responded as the suit's rear thrusters moved right and left, Hiro simply nodded as he crossed his arms. "Good, now pitch up and down. Then roll left and right…" he stated, continuing to observe the mechanical functioning of the system, this was crucial before allowing Abigail to test it in the air. The thrusters moved up and down, then moved unilaterally in each direction that would allow the frame to barrel roll or rotate on its own axis. "Great! You're about ready to go airborne!" Hiro exclaimed in excitement. "/Indeed, Captain Cutie/" ODIN concurred, Hiro's excitement stifled by his "hero name." "Yeah… I need to think of a better name to replace that…" he muttered.

"Okay, one more thing then! ODIN, deploy emergency parachute system!" Hiro raised his fist towards the exoskeleton in excitement. "/Take caution, deploying reserve parachute systems now/" ODIN warned, as the back compartment between the thruster system shot straight back and a parachute deployed across the lab room. From around the corner of the open entrance door, familiar voices were heard approaching the lab room. "Baymax, you shouldn't give Alistair a back massage, anymore. He'll never let you leave and keep- Whoah!" Abigail was nearly smacked by the deploying chute but was snatched back by Baymax in time to avoid it.

"/Abigail, it is recommended to watch where you are going to look out for hazardous threats/" Baymax advised her, and she sighed. "Thanks, Baymax! But it's not normal to expect a parachute to shoot towards you, inside of a building no less… But I am relieved to see its functioning, boy genius!"

She laughed as she looked towards Hiro across the room next to the exoskeleton, the young boy was laughing nervously and waving his hand to greet them. "Sorry about that, Abigail! Umm… ODIN, please recover the emergency chute… But yeah, the good news is we'll get to have you test it out today, what do you say?" the boy laughed unsteadily, watching as the parachute was being reeled back into the exoskeleton's back. "Seriously?! You think you even have to ask? Of course, I've been reeling to get back into the skies!" Abigail exclaimed, her and Baymax walking across the lab to see the suit up close. Hiro exclaimed, "Great!"

As Abigail walked towards the updated exosuit, she commented, "I was hoping you'd have a relaxing night away from all this, but Honey Lemon tells me you guys had quite the night patrol last night." It was interesting to note that, lately, Abigail had been spending more time with Honey Lemon and sometimes even with Gogo. The girls had apparently taken a liking to Abigail's company and it certainly allows them to have their "girl time." And at that, "girl time" their own way. Honey Lemon and Abigail could be quite energetic and explore things together, sometimes shopping together for fashionable outfits in downtown San Fransokyo. Not to mention, Gogo had finally found a roller blading and sparring partner in Abigail, forming a mutual respect based on a shared love for all things fast and tough. Outside of their special project, Abigail was enjoying her time with the girls and Hiro had to admit that he was glad to see them get along well.

Thinking about the other night's encounter with the buddy guards, Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, you could say that." Abigail's eyebrow furled with curiosity and a hint of concern in her voice, "You guys think it's that crazy knife lady Aunt Cass beat in a food fight? And you romantically saved Karmi from?" Hiro frowned in annoyance, "I'm not going to agree with a part of that, but yes, we think it's Momokase. But right now, I am stumped on how we can single out her graphene heat signature out of all of Baymax's readings. So, for now, it's the waiting game until we can get her on her next move."

"Well, between all of your big brains, I am sure you will figure something out. But please be careful out there. Crime-fighting isn't my area of expertise, but I'll help where I can for trying to locate her," Abigail reassured the young hero. "Thanks, Abigail. But… Well, how about something we can help move along. Want to see how your exosuit is coming?" Hiro responded, although he had honestly did not consider or think to solicit help from Abigail on Big Hero 6 crime-fighting matters, she hadn't come here to him to do that. "But of course! I've been thinking about it for the past few days!" she exclaimed giddily.

Hiro got excited, "Great! Then I can unveil some of the features I added into the design since you last saw it. And it was barely skin and bones then, wait until you see some of the modifications that I put in for you!" Abigail smiled at the young boy's enthusiasm, but she was honestly quite giddy to see this prototype. She knocked on the exoskeleton's armored layer like it was a door, "It's a really sleek design, but I'm surprised the plating seems pretty heavy. Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Hiro chuckled, "Well, actually a lot of the modifications I intend to emplace in our suits, along with the help of the gang, will be to make sure that we are safe on the other side. That's reinforced titanium alloy to take an extra beating if need be, same kind my team uses in our 'Ultra Armor' configurations. Of course, you know that you will have to factor the weight with how you fly but I imagine that wouldn't be an issue for you." Abigail raised her eyebrows at the boy, "You think we're going to fight aliens on the other side or something?"

Hiro laughed and shook his head, "No, it's just that…Hmm… Right, you were still taking your long nap! When Baymax and I got you, that side of Silent Sparrow had a lot of Krei Tech debris from when the building was sucked into it. It's really dangerous, it's… what damaged Baymax's armor and made his thrusters inoperable. So, everything I am designing into our suits will be to address those threats." Abigail sighed and simply nodded, "Thanks, Hiro. We'll definitely need everything going for us to make sure we can handle situations like that. So… what else you got for my new toy?"

"Glad you asked! I was thinking, if you need to manually extricate Baymax from some debris, you may need some additional strength to manipulate rather large structures without too much trouble. So…" Hiro smiled giddily as he pressed a button on the suit's collar bone, causing the exoskeleton's armor frame to open up for ease of donning it. Within the armor was a black bodysuit with a notable hexagonal design and purple circuitry running along it. "I'd like to introduce you to 'Nano-dex 2.0!' It's smart fabric with nano-compression circuitry to enhance natural muscle movement. In other words, in addition to the exoskeleton's powered functions, this bodysuit gives you 'super-strength.' It's actually a modification to my original design… that caused some troubles and I couldn't take off…" Hiro seemed to mutter like a stifled disclaimer, Abigail looking at him with a worried expression.

Hiro caught himself, "But don't worry! That won't be a problem now! My original Nano-dex was actually excessively strong and lacked a means to control its intensity. So it just kept tightening whenever I tried to take it off. But this one is also a sort of soft flexible armor, took a bit to get it just right but I created the outer layer of the body suit to have a titanium nanocomposite layer. Flexibly woven armor with no hindrance to your movement. Altogether, this will function to protect you and provide you with up to five times your natural strength output. And! You will be able to finely control its intensity thanks to this…"

Hiro opened the visor of the exosuit's helmet, revealing the inside that looked comfortably cushioned but also had an elaborate array of electrode sensors strewn throughout the inner lining. "The upgraded neurotransmitter, which I like to call the 'Enhanced Neural Interface.' It certainly beats Mr. Krei's cheap, knock-off design and even surpasses my original design intended for microbot use. As I promised, even faster neural input and responsive output times that will feel like it's really a part of you. You'll really be feeling super in this thing and it will feel completely natural! If having super-strength and self-flight was natural, of course."

Abigail crossed her arms and shook her head in amazement, "Don't let this get to your head, but you really are brilliant, kid. I'd keep this design close to your chest, I know a lot of agencies and entities that would love to get their hands on this tech. But really, you got some serious talent, Hiro." The young boy softly scratched his cheek with bashful pride as he chuckled, "Thanks. But it's made specifically for you, so I know it will remain in good hands." She smiled at the gesture. Abigail was thoroughly impressed; the boy genius had developed a functional aerial exoskeletal frame suit that had immense potential for combat capabilities. The APOLLO Project was already revolutionary, but Hiro had just created an even more minimal design that truly enhanced the capabilities of a human user and expanded on the APOLLO's intended purpose. It was a true marriage of human and machine. She had to admit, the boy genius truly was a visionary. And she would have the honor of testing out his design.

"You said that it's all a powered exoskeletal system, this is a lot of tech. What's capable of powering this for an extended operation?" Abigail asked as she walked around the aerial frame suit, her hand affectionately running along its surface as she inspected the suit's features up close. "I installed 'sub-critical hyper-capacitors' to power the suit, it's an advanced upgrade to conventional supercapacitors but I improved them by adding a critical component… using what I learned from making the energy amplifier," Hiro explained as he tried to quickly mutter the last sentence. Abigail's face glared at him as if he was doing something dangerous and against Granville's wishes. Hiro quickly waved his arms to not alarm Abigail.

Hiro got anxious like he needed to explain himself or he would get in trouble, his voice cracking intermittently, "Don't worry! It's not as volatile or anywhere near the scale of output that my energy amplifier is capable of generating. It's just that for your systems to function optimally out there, you need more than the supercapacitors that even Baymax uses. Otherwise it will surely shut down mid-flight and we don't want that, right? For this, I consider it a micro-version of the energy amplifier, using a less intense energy particle beam to stimulate reactions that will power a small particle accelerator for energy profit and additional power generation. Same principle but it's not anywhere near as intense!"

Abigail sighed, "Well, if you really think it's necessary… You are the super genius and I'm sure you learned your lesson. Your star-creating days are behind you I'm sure." Abigail joked as she punched the young boy in his arm. Hiro chuckled as he rubbed his arm tenderly, noting that Abigail and Gogo seemed to keep hitting him in the same spot and it was getting a tad sore. "Well, technically I didn't make the star so…. But thanks Abigail, just please don't mention that little detail to Professor Granville," Hiro pleaded. Abigail rolled her eyes at the boy, "Okay, boy genius. I pinky promise." Abigail raised her hand towards the boy playfully as her pinky extended towards him, he laughed and wrapped his pinky opposite to her for their pinky swear agreement.

"But this is all really nifty stuff. No offense… but this all seems to beat the current tech your team is all using at the moment," Abigail pointed out as she admired the suit. Hiro laughed, "Doesn't offend me, I made it all, remember? But no, I am actually going to make some similar upgrades to our suits too in the near future. But they will be meant for contingencies when even our Ultra Armor isn't enough for the situation. You know, like some 'break open in case of utter catastrophe' kind of suits. But hey! You can consider yours a prototype to the next-generation Big Hero 6 suits!" Hiro beamed with pride and enthusiasm, Abigail could tell that there was undoubtedly so many ideas that were in his head that would be in the works for the future.

"I'm guessing you have more plans for the suit? You mentioned that there was a lot of dangerous debris for us to consider, I am a fan of having extra protection capabilities and all… but what about armaments? If I can avoid having objects come at me by blasting them away, I would be a very happy girl," Abigail joked as she looked at the boy. Hiro grinned, moving towards the holographic screen and waving his hands to access schematic files. He briefly opened a file, holographic displays of various weapon concepts strewn throughout the screen. Abigail's face brightened and she almost drooled in her excitement, but Hiro suddenly clasped his hand to collapse and hide the file.

"Hey!" Abigail yelled in disappointment, seeing the boy laugh as he provided her only a short glimpse of what he was working on. "That's just a teaser for what's to come, it's still in the works but trust me, it will be epic!" Her eyes narrowed at the young boy in frustration, he waved his arms in front to calm her down and be ready just in case she wanted to punch his arm again. "Hey, don't give me that look! You'll just have to wait until it's ready! And besides, we shouldn't worry about weapon armaments until we've actually got your test flight in, remember?"

Abigail's face calmed down and she smiled again, "Aunt Cass never taught you it's not nice to tease a girl like that?" Hiro looked at her peculiarly, "You mean did she ever teach me not to tease an adrenaline junkie woman with weapons meant for her flying super-suit? Then no, no she did not." Abigail's eyes narrowed once again at the boy's snarky retort, swiftly but lightly punching his arm again. He winced and laughed.

"Ow! Why do you and Gogo keep on hitting me in the exact same spot!?" Hiro asked, now placing his arms up to defend himself against any follow-on "attacks." "/On a scale from one to ten, how would you-/" Baymax chimed in to check on the boy. "Three, Baymax. Just a three," Hiro promptly answered his healthcare companion with a laugh, trying to play it off like her punches weren't actually making him a bit sore.

Abigail chuckled and gave him that distinctly conniving look, "Hmm… Didn't know Gogo and I did that. Well, guess I'll have to coordinate with her and we'll bring up your pain rating if you keep getting too fresh with us. It certainly won't be a 'three.'" Her expression and tone were both playful and yet menacing, the thought of her and Gogo ganging up on him made Hiro flinch and shudder. "Oh… No, that won't be necessary. I happen to like having an arm that works, thank you… But hey! How about we take your suit out for a spin?" the boy responded nervously, Abigail noting that the boy was trying to redirect their conversation to appease her and rolled her eyes at him. But she simply laughed and placed her hand softly towards his shoulder, Hiro flinched his arms up to be ready to block another light punch. "Relax! I'm just messing with you! Besides… haven't talked to Gogo about it yet…"

Hiro quickly snapped his face at her, narrowing his eyes at her scheming. Abigail waved her hands to try to calm the young boy, "I'm just kidding! Maybe! But I'd love to test fly it." Hiro sighed with stifled and skeptical relief, "Okay… I'll have ODIN run some of the last diagnostics on it and then we can get this going!" The boy genius turned around to type away at a holographically projected keypad, "Hey ODIN? Could you conduct the last of the function tests and operational flight diagnostics?"

"/It would be my pleasure, Captain Cutie/" ODIN promptly responded as the holographic display populated with various coding and loading bars for the tests being conducted. Hiro's face looked unamused at Abigail, who was stifling her laughter at assigning that callsign for him on ODIN's systems. But she was also happy that ODIN finally had some personality and life to him, thanks to Hiro's modifications to his programming. She raised her hand with her forefinger up to grab Hiro's attention, "One question, boy genius. Since you have singlehandedly developed one of the most technologically-advanced prototype designs I've ever seen in my career… I was wondering if you gave it all a name?"

Hiro's face contorted as he had to think about it, "Hmm… Well I do like to name my projects and I have been bouncing around different names… I suppose for an official designation, I would call it the 'AEXOS System,' short for 'Aerial Exosuit.'" Abigail smiled, liking the name. "But… this is meant specifically for you, so I imagine a cooler name would be more appropriate. So how about we call this exosuit 'The Lady Kabuki?'" This was a very meaningful name to her, she instantly approved of the boy's proposed name of the exosuit. Abigail smirked, resting a hand on her hip, "Hmm… very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Hiro… I take it back, kid. I guess Aunt Cass taught you how to be a thoughtful gentleman. Karmi is such a lucky girl… no wonder she thinks Captain Cutie is so deep and romantic."

Hiro shot her a flustered and annoyed face, sharply turning around to continue working on finalizing some of the diagnostics and calibrations. "I'm not her….!" He just groaned as he tried to hide his face, working feverishly on the finalizations and lifting his hood over his head while Abigail laughed maniacally. Attempting to dismiss her last comment, he looked back to her and then towards the exosuit, "Well, I'd say you're the lucky one. Wait until you get to take the fair lady out for a spin."

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Just have been thinking a lot on how Hiro has made some really great inventions and yet him and his team are only slowly getting some crime-fighting upgrades. I hope that in the actual series, he will be able to revisit old concepts and integrate them. But anyways, thanks again for reading and hope you are enjoying this series!**


	17. Test Flight

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 17: Test Flight**

The young hero clad in purple-plated armor pressed away at his tablet, promptly releasing its connection from the AEXOS frame. He smiled triumphantly, looking towards Abigail and enthusiastically beckoning her to come along. "She's all ready for you, Abigail. How about we get this show on the road?" Hiro welcomed her towards the exosuit, his voice slightly reverberating through his mask. Baymax chimed in curiously, "/But Hiro, won't she be in the sky and not on the road? /" The young boy chuckled, "That's right, buddy. I guess let's get this show in the sky, then?"

Abigail smiled as she walked towards the exosuit, always enjoying the wholesome interactions between the boy and his robotic healthcare companion. "Yeah, let's take the lady out to town," she said playfully as Hiro guided her to walk backwards into the exoskeleton to match its posture. "Okay, first you need to get yourself into the Flexible-Armor Nano-Dex Suit, which we will call the F.A.N.S. system, since acronyms are fun," Hiro joked as he guided Abigail to the bodysuit that goes under the armored exoskeleton frame. "You'll notice it's loose for now, should make it easier to get into and then seal it up," Hiro explained as Abigail closed the seams of the black bodysuit with hexagonal scales.

"Next, walk backwards and get your head into the helmet, the neurotransmitter system will react to you and then should get moving rather quickly. So, don't be alarmed," the young genius advised the pilot. "Takes a bit more to get me alarmed. But- Whoa! This is really cool," Abigail got excited as the nano-dex titanium nanocomposite bodysuit had compressed to contour to her body. Its purple circuitry glowing briefly. The rest of the exosuit was also responding, Abigail could feel and hear the armor components ergonomically fitting onto the bodysuit and adding additional structural support to her body.

The visor on her helmet closed and the digital heads-up-display (HUD) flashed with various real-time data streaming on it, creating a digital overlay that scanned the environment. "/Good evening, Miss Abigail. I trust you are ready for an evening flight through the city proper? /" a regal, gentlemanly voice could be heard within Abigail's helmet, immediately realizing it was ODIN. She smiled in excitement, "Hey ODIN, glad to have you aboard for our little skyward tour." A corner of her HUD populated with ODIN's sigil, an intricate runic design of the Norse god's face, "/I wouldn't miss it, my lady. /"

The armored Baymax and Hiro looked at Abigail as she began to move around, she was conducting some dynamic stretches to get a feel for the exosuit. Her movements were fluid and lacked any impingements. She was pleased with how it felt, "I have to say, the way it feels… Almost forget that I am wearing reinforced titanium armor." Hiro laughed, crossing his arms, "Yeah, you could thank that to how I designed the exoskeleton and the Nano-dex 2.0 system. It will augment your natural muscle movement and reinforce your postural structure. The Enhanced Neural Interface neurotransmitter also makes those systems move seamlessly with you without too much conscious thought. For all intents and purposes, the 'Lady Kabuki' is truly an extension and a part of you."

"Yeah, you aren't kidding," Abigail chuckled as she began maneuvering her body, practicing her footwork and practicing her striking as she shadow-boxed. With a sharp and consecutive jab and cross, she seamlessly followed up with a "Muy Thai-style" high roundhouse kick at head-level and spun around with the momentum. Maintaining her arms up in her kickboxing stance, she rapidly dashed forward by using her rear thruster systems to practice a flying knee towards her visualized opponent in her mind. Her movements flowed and were streamlined, all purposeful and no wasted movement. It was no surprise to Hiro that Abigail and Gogo had gotten close, they were both avid fighters and respected each other. Even in a friendly sparring match, seeing them go at it would be a sight to behold.

Hiro smiled as he observed Abigail's movements, he had a developed appreciation for the martial arts very much thanks in part to Tadashi. His older brother had always worried for him, Hiro was always far smaller than his older classmates and was prone to bullying. Of course, Tadashi would do his best to be around and put people in their place. But Tadashi wanted Hiro to be able to defend himself and the two would practice traditional Japanese martial arts, ranging from traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, along with its offshoots of Aikido and Olympic-style Judo. Hiro wasn't quite as accomplished in the arts as Tadashi, but Tadashi did instill in him that fighting is a thinking man's art and technique can outclass brute strength. To his dismay, Hiro was still very small framed, but Tadashi taught him to use his brain and his technique to find another angle and fight to prevail.

Hiro was impressed with how quickly she was getting used to the armor, and more so, adapting it to her style. As she got used to the exoskeleton and, especially, managing the intensity of the nano-dex, Hiro noticed that she was moving faster and more explosively. Every now and then, she would lose her footing as she tried to adjust the nano-compression circuitry augmenting her movements. She grinned like a little child, she was enjoying every moment of it. "I told you, boy genius. Watch out, there are a lot of folks who would want this tech," she spoke in between her flurries of punches and kicks.

The young boy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his helmet bashfully, "Yeah, well it's not for sale and it stays with me." Abigail paused to catch her breath, looking at the boy genius, "Good. That's how it should be. I'm just happy to have it on loan to me." She chuckled, composing herself and steadying her breath. She noted that, under normal circumstances, such movements at that intensity would normally cause her to be more out of breath. But the exosuit's augmentation of her movements made it less physically taxing.

"Well, how about the moment of truth? Want to try out your flight control system?" Hiro asked excitedly, running to hop onto Baymax's back. The magnetic locks on his hands and shoes connecting with Baymax's magnetic ports. Baymax immediately release his wings to the sides and began to control his thrusters enough for a light hover above the ground. "/We will be ready for any medical emergencies, Abigail, /" Baymax informed her as he maintained his position. Abigail chuckled, "That's very reassuring, Baymax. Thank you." Baymax simply nodded, "/You are welcome, Abigail. /" Hiro shook his head and smiled, looking at his heroic robot companion.

"For now, let's take it slow as you get used to the controls. You have four thrusters to propel you, two at your feet and of course the two rear thrusters along your shoulder blades. I'm sure with the APOLLO, you're probably already familiar with providing the right neural inputs to control your throttles for the right amount of output. How about we start with a hover?" Hiro suggested, casually allowing Baymax to demonstrate hovering from his feet thrusters.

Briefly, Abigail's thrusters all activated intensely and propelled her upwards. Lowering the intensity of the thrusters, she was finding the sweet spot to allow her to hover. "/Might I suggest maintaining thrusters at less than 10% total output, Miss Abigail? /" ODIN recommended, as he was monitoring her flight controls. Abigail began to hover more steadily, working to find her balance between finding the right positioning for her feet and her rear thrusters. "Thanks, ODIN. This sure is different from flying an aircraft, that's for sure. The APOLLO made me feel like the ship was a part of my body. But now, it is my body that's determining how I move," she commented as she seemed to become steadier and more comfortable.

"Well, seems like you are already getting the hang of it! We'll be with you when you're ready to practice your maneuvers. I sent an AR (Augmented Reality) overlay to ODIN, he should be highlighting a scripted flight course I programmed for you to be able to practice your controls at a faster speed. Once you feel comfortable, start running through the flight course. ODIN and I will be recording data and making sure things are running smoothly," Hiro informed Abigail as he instructed Baymax to fly higher. On his visor, the boy was able to see the exact same AR overlay as Abigail, taking note of the holographic display that guided throughout the surrounding airspace.

Still hovering lightly, Abigail looked up at the sky to observe the holographic AR overlay course that Hiro scripted. "Hmm… like a video game, huh? Remind me again, are we working right now or playing?" she questioned playfully. She could hear Hiro laugh in the internal communications net, "Perhaps both?" Abigail smiled, "Wouldn't have it any other way. I am one happy girl right now." She throttled her thrusters to propel her quickly up, rapidly gaining altitude and aligning her with the holographic waypoints guiding her. Baymax and Hiro flew parallel to her, observing and standing by for any complications.

"So much for taking it slow, huh?" Hiro remarked as Abigail was picking up speed and maneuvering through the air, he noticed that she was already getting used to how the exosuit handles. Perhaps this was on account of the exosuit's direct neural connection for enhanced control or it was due to Abigail's previous experience as pilot with a similar system. Or a combination thereof. "This isn't really something you take slow," Abigail laughed over the comms as she sped through the last waypoint of Hiro's test flight AR course. "Out of everything I've flown in my career, this by far, takes the cake. Nothing else handles like this."

"/Abigail, your exosuit does not require cake as fuel sustenance. It runs on a 'subcritical reactor hyper-capacitor' for power production- /" Baymax noted. "Just an expression, Baymax," Abigail laughed as she, Baymax and Hiro began to hover in place at a high altitude overlooking the San Fransokyo bay. "Well, you got used to the controls rather quickly but didn't expect anything less! Didn't seem like much of challenge for you. So! I wanted to up the ante a little and see if you'd like a more difficult challenge?" Hiro asked, as he pressed on his helmet to reveal some overlays on his visor. Abigail laughed, "You know me so well. What else you got for me?"

"Great! I'll show you. ODIN, could you please display AR course overlay 'San Fransokyo Time Trial 1-A' for Abigail's HUD?" Hiro requested, to which ODIN promptly replied. "/Most certainly, Hiro /" ODIN responded, Abigail noting that the boy finally changed his name on ODIN's system from Karmi's endearing hero name. An augmented reality overlay populated on their visors, including Baymax's, with a colorful holographic course that spanned into the main city and beyond it. Abigail noticed that there were holographic obstacles that were moving haphazardly along the course.

"As you've noticed, there are holographic debris that will be moving randomly throughout this course. Consider it as good practice to maneuver around to prepare for Silent Sparrow's messy side. Won't hurt you, of course, but hitting them will cause a time penalty adding onto your total course time split," Hiro explained as Abigail took the time to quickly scan over the course plot. "Now, this is going to be even more fun," Abigail exclaimed, getting amped up to try it out. Hiro smiled, "Yeah, you're telling me. Forgot to mention, I'll be running the course against you. Don't worry, I'll try to go easy on you. Consider it a friendly competitive race, what do you say?"

"You sure you want to challenge me? No one has ever out-flown me and I've been flying since you were probably seven years old, kid," Abigail smirked, amused at the boy's cocky tone. "Well, hello? Boy genius here? I started flying at the age of fourteen. Far earlier than you, so I'd say I have a good shot at breaking your record. And I'm not intimidated, you're talking to an ex-bot fighter, here. I will give you a good run for your money," Hiro retorted playfully and confidently.

Abigail shook her head with feigned disbelief, but she was happy to accept the challenge. She was having a good time, either way. "That makes two of us, ex- bot fighter. I accept your challenge. So, what happens to the loser?" she inquired, wondering what was at stake. "Hmm… Didn't really think about it. How about you take over a day as Mr. Krei's intern?" Hiro proposed, to Abigail's amusement. "Trying to pawn off your very important duties on me, I see. Well, alright. Hmm…What will I wager you? If I win, then you have to hang out with Karmi more." Hiro shuddered, afraid he might regret even bringing up the challenge. "Perhaps too intimidating stakes for you? Having second thoughts, 'ex-bot fighter?'" Abigail playfully challenged the young boy.

"Not at all! Let's do this! I hope you don't mind doing menial tasks!" Hiro exclaimed, rising to her wager. "Baymax! Get ready! ODIN, can you start the countdown?" Baymax shifted his body, readying to propel himself along the augmented reality race course through the city. Abigail smiled, preparing herself to launch. ODIN acted as the race referee, "/Certainly, Hiro. May the best pilot win. Time trial beginning in 3…2…1…Go! /" At the same time, both Abigail and Baymax thrusted forward on their course leading towards the city sky risers. Immediately, they faced holographic debris that nearly impeded their advance, the two split up as they maneuvered around the digital obstacle.

"Baymax! Full thrust!" Hiro commanded, lowering himself closer to the robot to create a more aerodynamic profile. Hiro had been working to optimize Baymax's thrusters. Despite Abigail's smaller profile that allowed her to pierce through aerodynamically, Baymax's thrusters were decidedly stronger to account for his larger mass. Baymax and Hiro had taken the lead, but Abigail was not far behind. Pushing past the San Fransokyo bay, they both moved rapidly enough to create the distinct sonic boom from moving supersonic and overcoming the sound barrier.

But as the augmented reality track began to course through the city buildings, it required more turns and maneuvering. This forced Hiro and Baymax to slow down just enough to maneuver around the buildings and the holographic debris. Although, Abigail was able to roll around the debris more smoothly, she was facing more obstacles in her path based on their randomized movements. Abigail realized that despite Hiro not being in direct control piloting Baymax, she noted that the two seemed to work in unison and flowed together. Whether Hiro verbally advised Baymax or not, the robot seemed to take his verbal and non-verbal cues to almost instantaneously understand Hiro's intentions. They were a great team that flowed well together.

"Well, I'm not alone, either! ODIN, predict the trajectory of all the debris, determine most efficient route through the obstacles and highlight my course," Abigail exclaimed as she continued to dodge and roll around the digital obstacles. "/Your recommended course has been highlighted, my lady /" the combat A.I. responded as holographic waypoints appeared and Abigail adjusted her flight path to narrowly dodge the debris and buildings. Hiro had really optimized Baymax's thrusters, he was still very maneuverable but his maximum flight speed still outmatched Abigail's. He and Baymax were narrowly maintaining the lead.

The augmented reality course was now taking them at a higher altitude, placing them in the direction of the floating wind turbines that gathered wind energy for San Fransokyo. They were stylishly designed to appear like fish kites, but their high altitude allowed the turbines to harness stronger winds and generate electrical power for the city. Without having to say a word, Hiro looked towards Baymax and smiled in anticipation for this part. Baymax simply nodded and looked forward, accelerating with maximum thrust to narrowly avoid the wind turbines. With each pass, Hiro simply lowered himself into a lower silhouette to slip past the wind turbine overhead.

Having gone through the most efficient routes through ODIN's tactical support, Abigail was directly behind the duo. She noted that despite their speed, they were losing momentum each time they had to narrowly avoid the wind turbines. "ODIN, I'm going to need your help with timing. At my current speed, determine appropriate trajectory through the wind turbines," Abigail requested as she concentrated on her flight path moving directly towards the rotating fans of the wind turbines. "/At your current velocity, I have highlighted your recommended path, Miss Abigail. Please, do be careful/" Seeing the exact window of opportunity for each turbine, Abigail continued at full speed. "Still the gentleman, I see. Thanks, ODIN!"

Tucking herself into the narrowest profile she could muster, Abigail narrowly slipped through the wind turbine and marginally avoided the spinning turbine windmill. With each consecutive pass, she was able to steadily catch up. Once Hiro and Baymax, along with Abigail, reached the last wind turbine before the course's finish line, they were neck and neck. Time seemed to slow as they arrived at the wind turbine, but Hiro's eyes widened when he realized that Abigail barely pushed past him and Baymax. It was only until now did he realize that Abigail was daringly slipping through small openings in the wind turbines for a direct path. "What?!" he exclaimed in his surprise, having only lost by a sliver. Baymax merely reacted, "/ Oh. /"

"Looks like you'll be spending more time with your 'BFF,' kid," Abigail joked as they both pulled off of the course and slowed down to end their race. Hiro merely groaned over the internal communications, to Abigail's amusement. "Unbelievable..." the young boy groaned.

* * *

Sitting atop the "fish kite"-designed wind turbine, Hiro, Abigail and Baymax rested as they observed the sunsetting above the San Fransokyo bay. "You know… for someone who's been flying for so long, we almost had you," Hiro chuckled as he had gotten time to calm down about losing narrowly. "But I have to admit, that was some hotshot flying there going through these turbines. I wasn't expecting that." Abigail laughed, "Yeah, well that's a trick I picked up later in my career. Sometimes you just have to commit, hesitation and doubt can be dangerous when things are at stake. And having ODIN's help on top of how reactive your neurotransmitter is, I was completely confident to commit. But I will concede, you and Baymax are a great team and you nearly had me. Closest anyone has been to beating me."

"Well… I did design the 'Lady Kabuki' so… either way, I'll take it as a victory! Having you test pilot it just showed what it could do with optimal piloting skills, so it was still a treat to see my design do so well. Even if it's against me," Hiro laughed, looking out to the orange-red skyline. They stayed there, watching the sun set as they were entranced by the sight. It was a view that was therapeutic and calming, Abigail reflected, "Thank you, Hiro. For all of this… You know, in all of the time I've flown and all of the locations I've flown in… I've never actually gotten to enjoy a flight through the city I grew up in. Let alone, hang out on top of a wind turbine and have an even better view of the sky I'm so fond of."

Hiro looked towards her, seeing that she was still looking out towards the horizon as she continued, "Flying in the 'Lady Kabuki,' it really reminded me of why I wanted to fly in the first place. My mother… she was a well-accomplished pilot, testing next-generation prototype aircrafts that paved the way for what we currently have. She even went on to be an astronaut with the International Space Agency…until there was an accident that took her away." Hiro looked to the young woman with concern, but Abigail looked to him and smiled to reassure him. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Abigail." She shook her head, "It's okay. It hurts, of course. Even now. But I always wanted to fly because… I wanted to feel what my mother felt, why she had always been drawn to the skies. She loved spending time with my father and I… but the skies seemed to call her and even with the risks, she answered their call. I… wanted to feel what drew her and every time I fly, I feel closer to her. To feel the freedom that she felt… and your design, the 'Lady Kabuki,' it makes me truly feel like it is I who is flying, and I've felt the closest to my mother in that moment that I was flying against you."

Abigail smiled at the young boy, a light stream of tears flowing from her eyes, but they were tears of gratitude. Hiro smiled back, "Now that you mention it, flying with you and just enjoying being in the sky… it reminded me of my first flight with Baymax." Hiro looked over to Baymax, who was sitting down and moving his feet back and forth to emulate Hiro's. "It was in that moment that I truly felt… alive again. And it was because it helped me feel like I was with Tadashi again. It felt like I was catching air with him on his scooter, escaping from Good Luck Alley…"

Abigail chuckled, imagining the Hamada brothers escaping from trouble. Hiro smiled as he remembered that feeling, "Or the feeling of being on his back as he ran around and carried me when I was little… well littler. But I know what you mean. When I am flying, I feel like I am connected with Baymax and through him, I am connected more with Tadashi." They both smiled at each other, understanding the mutual passion they shared with flying. As the sun was finally settling into the horizon, they took the time to reflect on their loved ones and how their time in the sky seemed to bring them that much closer to those they lost. It was a moment that seemed to bring Hiro and Abigail closer in their friendship.


	18. A Prayer for the Prey

**Author's Note: I updated the ending to this chapter or ****more so, added upon it. I hope you are enjoying this series. Thank you for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 18: A Prayer for the Prey**

Deep within the interior of Akuma Island, a hollowed-out cavern hosted the presence of several Krei Tech Industries' engineers and the thousands of miniature robots that were assisting them in constructing a hidden structure beneath the surface. The engineers coordinated their efforts together, partitioning specific parts of the project and utilizing the microbots that Hiro had lent out to them.

They were among the best in their field, it was to their amazement that they were able to make this much progress within a short amount of time. As they got used to utilizing the microbots with their neurotransmitters, they noted that it was like having a construction team that was able to instantaneously create what they designed or planned in near real-time.

"You guys sure work fast," Alistair Krei remarked towards one of the head engineers. He responded to the CEO, "We are certainly doing our best to keep up the pace, Mr. Krei. We've been making tremendous strides in constructing both the cover-up facility and even this sub-level lab. But creating a structure like this, covertly, does take time even with that boy's microbots helping. I can't give you a definitive time we can complete a fully-functional facility, but I assure you we are maintaining a fast pace."

"I appreciate your guys' hard work, as long as we remain under the radar, I am satisfied," Krei admitted as he continued to tour the sub-level structure. It was a risk to try to conduct such an operation right under the noses of watchful eyes. His personal assistant, Judy, walked up behind him, "Your guest is arriving soon, shall we greet her?"

Krei's eyes widened with anxiety, "The government inspector is almost here already!? We have to get topside now then!" An eyebrow on Judy's face lifted, "Umm. No? They aren't scheduled until later this evening to inspect our facility's construction up there. I meant Miss Callaghan?"

"Oh, right! That's right! Why didn't you say so earlier!?" Alistair chuckled nervously, as Judy shook her head. The two excused themselves from the head engineer and moved towards one of the halls of the nearly-completed portions of the secret structure. It led to an entrance that had a notable dark, blue hue due to its transparent, reinforced wall that overlooked the San Fransokyo bay ocean floor.

As they looked towards the entrance, they saw an approaching structure, the underwater gondola that they used previously to access the clandestine underground lab. It was yet another idea taken from Hiro's recommendations to ensure that the government would not see their transporting of materials and personnel to the structure they were building in secret.

As the underwater gondola approached, they were able to see Abigail standing casually with her hand along her hip. Alistair waved his hands enthusiastically to greet her as the gondola connected and several layers opened up to depressurize and de-flood the water between them. Multiple layers of walls and procedures to ensure that there would be no structural breaches that could flood the underground lab. As is it opened, Abigail stepped forward as several of Mr. Krei's personnel moved around her to continue their work, many with construction materials in tow.

"You've outdone yourself, Alistair. Or at least, your team certainly has. I feel like I am entering the secret lair of a supervillain," Abigail joked as she stepped forward to greet Alistair and Judy. "Well, this is all a team effort, so I guess we are all the villains here then. Especially, you and the boy. I'm just an accomplice to this all," Krei responded sarcastically. Abigail laughed as Judy and Alistair led her towards the hall leading to the main construction efforts for their lab, Abigail retorted, "I am afraid you are far more than an accomplice in all of this, partner."

They walked further into the lab-in-progress, Abigail was fascinated to finally see what was shaping up to be an impressive feat of architecture. They had previously worked on Akuma Island, and it was surreal to be at the very place that it all began. But, to be so deep within the island and to see what was going to house their project left her hopeful that this will be done. She saw the engineers hard at work, but what was truly fascinating was to see the very machines that Hiro invented… the very same ones that her father had exploited.

She watched as the thousands of miniature robots, who were very simple in design taking advantage of her father's magnetic-bearing servo-design. But working in conjunction through the vision of its user, they were able to construct the structures and infrastructure at a rapid pace.

"Extraordinary, isn't it?" Alistair asked, noticing Abigail's gaze as she observed the microbots at work. "Truly is... a project like this wouldn't be anywhere near where it is now if it weren't for that boy's invention," Abigail admitted. Pleased with their progress, she looked towards Krei and Judy. "Any updates on getting my father out of prison to work with us?" Krei seemed to take a moment to look at his personal assistant, then looked to his colleague.

"Unfortunately, that is taking quite some time to arrange the proper meetings and convince the right folks to be on board with that. As you can imagine, trying to release someone who caused a lot of damage to the city is rather… difficult to propose to folks... and if we don't get the right people convinced, we'll be facing a lot of opposition. I apologize, Abigail. I cannot say when we will be making a breakthrough, working through official channels makes this very difficult," Alistair admitted both honestly and apologetically. His tone almost hinted he'd preferred to do this through back door deals or had simply broken her father out. Abigail simply shook her head calmly, "No, I completely understand. Thank you, Alistair, Judy. I appreciate you arranging the meetings and wouldn't expect that to be a quick process." Krei and Judy nodded pleasantly to Abigail.

"Thank you for your understanding, Abigail. My understanding is that you and Hiro have been working on other parts of the project in the meantime?" Alistair pointed out. Abigail simply nodded as she continued to observe the progress of the site. The business executive continued, "Speaking of the boy, he hasn't seen the structure in person yet, either. Even though I know he's been keeping a hawk's eye view over my team's use of the microbots. Where is he now? I'm surprised he didn't go with you?"

Abigail simply chuckled, "That boy likes to keep busy with other agendas of his. He has other things to work on, obviously. And I rather him take time off of this when he can, he does work hard anyways. Last I heard, he went to visit his classmate Karmi at her Sycorax internship." Krei became visibly disturbed and disgusted, "Ugh, Sycorax… Liv Amara… Why would he go there to that woman's business, anyways? He's _my_ intern!"

Abigail simply laughed, she was well aware of Alistair's jealous obsession with Liv Amara's success and the recognition she's garnered for herself and her company. She chuckled dismissingly as she shrugged, "Well, beats me. I didn't ask him why. I did tell him to spend more time with his classmate, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. Something less work- or school-related, and more normal kid stuff but oh well." Krei merely groaned, thinking about Liv Amara and hoping that Hiro was not somehow attempting to become her intern as well.

* * *

Donning her lab goggles and particulate mask, Karmi continued to observe as she released her experimentation controls into the samples on her petri dish. She remained within the secured lab room within Sycorax's sub-level floor 9 to run trials to help the horribly mutated Orso Knox. As she looked through her microscopic lens, she simultaneously slowly released and turned off the heat of the flame from her Bunsen burner.

As she observed the samples of Orso Knox's cells react to her different trials, she grinned with excitement and anticipation. "Yes! This is promising, I can do this! I just need to get back to the bio-lab at school, the viral proteins I've been working on should do just the trick to rewrite his DNA and counteract the over-expression of his mutagenic gene sequences!"

Karmi looked around, wishing she could boast her findings to her rival. But the young boy was roaming around the rest of the sub-level with Baymax, attempting to bait the mutated Orso Knox to return back to his secured cell. Despite her protests, the young boy had hacked into Sycorax's systems to deactivate their safety protocols that attempted to quarantine Knox within the building.

_Foolish kid, we can turn Mr. Knox back into a human. Why didn't he just listen to me? And I can't believe he convinced me to do this in the first place, Liv almost terminated my internship… But I know I can do this, we can help Knox turn back to being human again, _she thought to herself, when she suddenly heard several loud sounds of banging and eventually a massive explosion as it sounded like something had broken through the lab's reinforced walls.

She immediately ducked behind the desk, worried that the mutated Knox would breach through her door at any moment and take her. Her breathing became wild, attempting to stifle it and calm herself lest she make too much noise and attract the beast's attention.

As she attempted to slow her breathing and quiet herself, she soon realized that it wasn't the sounds of a growling creature stalking towards her room but rather the squeaky steps of Hiro's robotic nurse companion. She peeked around her desk to look at the reinforced door's window slit, seeing the face of Baymax looking towards her. She noticed that it appeared that one of his eyes was shut and periodically twitching with electrical discharges, realizing that he was damaged.

"Baymax…?" she questioned softly, still trying to stay relatively quiet just in case Knox was around. "/ Karmi. /" Baymax simply stated, as he waited at the door front. Karmi quietly walked towards the door to release the lock. When she opened the door, her heart sank to see that Baymax was obviously damaged by the mutated Knox… and that her precocious young rival was not with him. "Baymax! Are you al- Wait! Where's Hiro?!" she exclaimed, finding it odd that she was expressing so much concern for the young boy.

"/Mr. Knox has taken Hiro away while we were attempting to apprehend him. I was unable to defend Hiro from being taken. /" Baymax explained, although in his robotic tone, Karmi noted that it almost sounded like he was apologetic and regretfully concerned.

"No...Hiro… why didn't you just listen to me for once! Why did you have to try and go out there!" Karmi looked down, she was frustrated with the boy, but she couldn't deny that she was concerned for him. She saw what Knox was capable of, he may be human on the inside but his extended time being mutated has made him less human and more beast-like. Hiro could be seriously hurt… or worst.

Karmi found it strange that she quickly thought about her conversation with Abigail. Abigail truly thought that Karmi and Hiro would eventually become close friends. Although Karmi couldn't imagine that, there was always the possibility that it could be that way eventually and she had to admit that she didn't really know Hiro all that well yet. But, with him in danger being taken by the mutated Knox, she may never get the chance to know him if things go wrong...

She still saw the solution as turning Knox back into being human, it's why Hiro had come to her in the first place. She quickly grabbed the lab equipment and samples she was working on and headed out the door. Baymax slowly waddled to follow her, Karmi sighed and ran back to snatch marshmallow hand of Baymax so that she could rush back to the elevator with him in tow. Karmi looked up to see a massive hole, realizing that this was the massive sound she heard of the structure being punctured.

Undoubtedly, this was where Knox had breached through and was already escaping from the Sycorax building. She had to admit, despite her protests to Hiro that the quarantine lockdown protocol should not have been deactivated, it was apparent that Knox was very well-capable of escaping with his sheer strength if he was not isolated in an energy-based cell. It was actually to Karmi's and Baymax's benefit that Hiro deactivated the security protocol, allowing them to access the elevator and bring them back to the main floor of the Sycorax building.

As she arrived at the first floor, she noticed that the thick shutter walls of the auto-lockdown sequence were receding back to reveal the daylight of the outside. She immediately took notice that Liv Amara was speaking to the Big Hero 6 team at the entrance, rushing towards them. As she approached them, she overheard Liv saying, "We've tried to cure him-"

Karmi rushed towards them, her equipment still in hand, "But I haven't, if I modify the viral proteins from my work at SFIT and run some tests-" Liv immediately placed her hand calmly on Karmi's shoulder, trying to assure her that this was no longer something to pursue.

Liv spoke softly to the young girl, "Karmi, we're out of time... Big Hero 6, please do whatever it takes to save the boy." Karmi looked down, the whole situation was dire and discouraging. She desperately knew that she could help change Mr. Knox back into being human. And under the circumstances, she wanted to know Hiro was okay. She may see him as an insufferable rival, but she did not want the young boy to get hurt.

The Big Hero 6 team looked to each other, the yellow-armored Speed Queen took charge, "We're going to need the Ultra-Armor." Karmi noticed that her beloved Captain Cutie was not with them, but she found that she was more concerned for helping Orso Knox... and particularly Hiro. But she had to keep faith that Captain Cutie and the Big Hero 6 team would save Hiro and capture Orso Knox alive to continue working on changing him back.

Liv Amara's assistant, Chris, stood besides the heroes, "Tough choices..." He sighed heavily as he shook his head, quickly turning to smile at them as he whipped out a plate of drinks seemingly out of nowhere to offer them. "Ice tea?" The burly green-armored hero, Chop Chop, got excited, "Don't mind if I do, Chri- person I've just met!"

Wasabi quickly grabbed a cup of ice tea and drank it, as the rest of the team stared at him oddly. He shrugged, "What? I just spent a long time trying to cut that titanium plating open. That's really tiring and works up a thirst!" Gogo sighed as she shook her head, grabbing Wasabi quickly as he screamed in surprise while leading the others out of the Sycorax building.

Karmi watched them as they prepared to leave. She knew that they would do their best to rescue Hiro and do what they need to do with Knox. But if they can capture him, they would need a means to transform him back. Despite Liv's warning that it was too late, Karmi realized that she needed to work on a serum by modifying her viral proteins back at SFIT's bio-lab. It was Knox's only chance. She left for SFIT to continue her experiments.

* * *

Abigail and Krei were looking at a design schematic that the engineers were overviewing for them. Suddenly, Abigail's phone was vibrating as she received a call. She noted it was a call from Gogo, answering it, "Hey Gogo, what's up?"

"Abigail, something's happened to Hiro. He got taken away by the mutated Orso Knox," Gogo explained over the phone. Abigail's posture immediately changed, her voice became tense and concerned, "Wait, what?! What happened?!"

"Hiro and Karmi were apparently sneaking around at Sycorax attempting to help change Orso Knox back to normal. But they had a containment breach and Knox escaped into the city with Hiro. We're getting our Ultra-Armor now to go after them," Gogo continued to explain, as Abigail took a deep breath trying to calm down and assess the situation.

"What happened to Karmi?" She was concerned, both her and Hiro were in danger and she cared for both of the young students. "She's ok. Hiro had her stay behind when he was taken and she got out with Baymax. Can you help us search for Hiro while we get our armor?" Gogo reassured Abigail, who was relieved that at least she did not have to worry about Karmi in this situation.

"Of course, I'll go airborne and look for him. I'll keep you posted if I get any other intel for you to work off of," Abigail stated as she looked towards Alistair, who immediately knew that something serious was happening. "Thanks. Likewise," Gogo stated shortly before she hung up to go with the team and retrieve their ultra-armor from the Skymaxes.

"What's going on, Abigail?" Alistair asked her, concerned at what was happening. "Hiro got abducted by the mutated Orso Knox-" Abigail explained when Alistair became very alarmed, as he was familiar with the beast. "You mean that thing that looks like a whale, a dinosaur and some hair got blended and put into a human-shaped ice tray and then thawed!? It has Hiro?!"

Abigail merely stared at the man with an incredulous look, wondrous of his description of the beast. "Yes... that thing. I need to get topside now, you have any access to the top facility from here?" Krei looked up, then immediately pulled out his phone, "Yes, we do. There's a hidden access elevator, hold on..." He began to press at his phone and waited a moment, "This is Krei. I'm at the sub-level. Is it clear to make it topside right now...? Ok, thanks."

He simply nodded and Judy motioned towards them, "Follow me, please." Abigail and Alistair followed Judy through the sub-level into a corridor and used a special access card to activate the elevator. Abigail was concerned but focused, she kept herself calm and rehearsed in her mind what she would need to do.

Krei looked to her as the elevator ascended towards the top facility, "What are you going to do, Abigail?" She looked to her phone, prepared to press a certain application on it, "I'm going to help the team rescue Hiro." As the door opened, they found themselves in a secured lobby, Judy ran up to the lobby entrance, looking towards a security camera screen to verify it was safe to open and used her secured access key again.

The entrance door opened and a secondary door opened right after, which had apparently been a false wall that covered this secret elevator. Immediately they were greeted by Krei Tech Industries personnel, Abigail asked them, "Please show me to the nearest exit leading to the outside of the island."

One of the staff immediately directed them, running ahead to show the exit route, "Right away, ma'am. This way, please." Alistair and Judy followed behind as Abigail ran with the staff member guiding them. As they exited, she thanked the staff member, "Thank you for the help."

She immediately looked back at Alistair, smiling apologetically, "Sorry, Alistair. This is an emergency. But, if you weren't rich, I would feel more bad..." Krei looked at her with a curious look, "Why do you say that?" Abigail pressed on the application on her phone, it was the insignia of a Kabuki mask.

Meanwhile, at the Krei Tech Industries main building, the "Lady Kabuki" Aerial Exosuit (AEXOS) System within Hiro's internship lab activated. It's armor components closing and locking up, the thruster systems activated as the exosuit lifted off. It immediately directed itself towards the wall and breached right through various concrete walls, flying outside of the building and heading towards Akuma Island.

Immediately, Krei's personal assistant's phone notified her and she looked at it. She laughed and showed it to Krei, a livestream video of the exoskeleton breaching and damaging his building. Alistair's mouth went wide open in disbelief and he immediately looked at Abigail.

Abigail lightly chuckled and shrugged, "Hey, it's an emergency. It's Hiro we're talking about. And plus... I said sorry, Alistair." Krei simply growled and then sighed, "That darn 'hairy-whale-dinosaur' keeps finding a way to damage my building somehow!" They all looked up as they saw the white silhouette of Abigail's exosuit flew directly towards them. It was the first time Alistair had seen it, he was awe-struck.

As it landed, Abigail immediately took off her blazer coat, purse and high heels. Leaving it with Judy, the personal assistant simply smiled that she could entrust her belongings with the personal assistant. She ran up to the suit, putting on the titanium nano-composite bodysuit and sealing it. She placed herself inside the helmet and the armored shell layer.

Immediately, the bodysuit reacted with its purple circuitry glowing as the black hexagon-textured layer tightened around her body frame. Krei and Judy watched as the armor platings moved to conform to her body and her visor on her helmet polarized to reveal her Kabuki visage. "ODIN, send me all relevant data on Orso Knox and any reports of his sighting," Abigail commanded as she conducted a final systems check.

"/Certainly, Miss Abigail. I am arranging all data regarding Mr. Knox/" the combat A.I. responded as Abigail's visor HUD populated with several images of the grey mutated beast. Her eyebrow furled, she had never seen anything like it before and it was almost hard to believe something like that could even exist. Her heart sank, thinking that something like that had Hiro. This very creature was the reason Hiro even developed their upgraded ultra-armor, it was undoubtedly dangerous.

Without any further words, she immediately propelled herself into the sky and accelerated towards San Fransokyo city. "/Miss Abigail, there has been several calls to the San Fransokyo PD that an unidentified creature matching Mr. Knox's description was spotted in the Nobu Hill district. Reports indicate that the creature had burrowed into the old underground subway rail system, at the corner of Waseda- Dori Street and Washington Street. I am highlighting it now/"

"Thank you, ODIN. Get me in contact with Gogo, please," Abigail requested as she looked at several images showing the hole in the ground on the street between several vehicles. "/Yes, my lady. Giving her a ring now/" ODIN complied, the communications system functioning with slight static. She soon heard Gogo's voice, "Abigail, we just suited up. Baymax's scan picked up a large heat signature moving underground. It's most likely Knox. But Baymax's systems are damaged, so we can't pinpoint Hiro's exact whereabouts."

"Good copy, Gogo. ODIN and I are heading towards a hole in the street at Noble Hill where Knox most likely entered through. If I can have you guys patrol the underground coming in from the south, we can pincer him and make sure he doesn't escape with Hiro," Abigail devised as she looked at a map of both the underground and surface levels of the city.

"Sounds good, we'll see you underground then," Gogo responded quickly. Wasabi could be heard on the communications net, his voice characteristically hesitant, "I don't think I'm mentally prepared for that." Gogo tersely instructed him, "Get there." Freddy immediately chimed in, "'Heroes save Hiro' is a go! Hmm... does that sound confusing?"

Abigail chuckled as she responded to the team, "No, I like the title. Commence 'Operation: Heroes save Hiro.' I'll see you guys down there, best of luck!" The team responded immediately in a cacophony of responses:

Gogo: "Roger, see you down there."

Honey Lemon: "Thanks Abby, good luck on your end."

Fred: "She liked my operation's name!"

Wasabi: "Why couldn't the scary monster have taken Hiro to a detergent factory or something cleaner and less claustrophobic?"

Abigail simply chuckled, relieved that she could coordinate her efforts with the Big Hero 6 team. Hiro was counting on them, and truthfully, Abigail was terrified inside with concern for the boy. She made a personal promise to Tadashi that nothing bad would happen to his little brother. She cared for him and wanted to make sure Hiro was safe. She had become quite fond of the boy and saw him like he was her own little brother... she wouldn't know what she would do if something happened to him.

"ODIN, is there any other reports regarding Knox's activity?" Abigail asked as they were now nearing the street that they suspected was Knox's entry into the underground. "/No, my lady. Only that police are attempting to cordon the breach site/" ODIN responded, showing a camera feed from what she suspected was a civilian's cell phone posting about the scene.

As she neared the scene, she saw several policemen waving her down, "Whoa! Stop! This is a police crime scene, it's off limits!" Abigail merely hovered over the crushed manhole, looking at the police officers with her visor partially polarized. She fully polarized it to ensure her face was not identifiable, the officers were immediately concerned by her Kabuki mask visor. "The Kabuki mask...!?" They muttered as they moved away with caution.

Abigail merely spoke to them, her voice reverberating through her mask, "Sorry. I know you're just doing your job, but I don't care. I'm looking for the boy." She descended further into the manhole, looking down both directions of the abandoned railway. "ODIN, scan for signs of Knox's direction of travel..." she requested, her visor cycling between night vision and thermal imaging, immediately noticing that one direction had several claw marks and the debris had flown towards there. Clear indications the beast had moved in that direction.

"That way it is, then," she said to herself, activating her thruster systems at a moderate intensity to propel her quickly down the underground railway. She was cautious. Preparing herself to make contact with the mutated beast, she was completely caught off guard to see a small boy walking down the same path.

Flying right overhead, they were both caught by surprise as she flew past him and they looked at each other incredulously. Abigail immediately tucked and flipped forward, a sudden burst from her thrusters allowed her to decelerate quickly as she reversed her momentum. Hiro pulled his arms up over his face to cover himself from the sudden gust of light debris.

Abigail landed on her feet and started running towards the young boy, "Hiro! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Hiro shook his head as he approached her, thinking that she was going to hug him, he raised his arms to meet her but was surprised when she lightly punched his arm. He was surprised and briefly speechless, Abigail moving closely to him as her visor opened up to reveal her concerned face.

"What were you and Karmi thinking, sneaking around Sycorax around that monster. You guys could've gotten seriously hurt, you knuckleheads!" Abigail asked the boy sternly, her face sternly wracked with concern. Hiro tried to respond, "But, somebody had to help-" Hiro was immediately surprised when Abigail pulled the young boy in for a hug, her face notably saddened.

"You had me worried, Hiro... All of us were... we thought…" she said tenderly to the boy. Hiro's voice became unsteady, "I'm... sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to worry you guys..." Abigail lightly pulled him away and continued looking down at him, "I'm just glad that you and Karmi are alright... You know, when I said you guys should spend time together... this isn't what I had in mind."

Hiro chuckled shyly as he rubbed his arm sheepishly. Abigail laughed, "Sorry about hitting your arm, kind of forgot I'm wearing your Nano-Dex. 'On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your pain?'" Hiro laughed as she tried to imitate Baymax's voice. "Three… I'm just glad you practiced modulating the strength output!" He laughed, but quickly looked behind him as they suddenly heard the sounds of a fight further down the railway. The ground rattled and dust fell from above as they felt the shock of the battle raging a distance away.

"Oh no... They're making a mistake! He wasn't trying to hurt me, we have to help Mr. Knox!" Hiro turned immediately to Abigail, his eyes pleading. "Please, Abby..." Abigail looked to him, she saw that he was very serious. Without much thought or hesitation, she nodded and closed her Kabuki visor.

"Sorry, I'm no Baymax. This probably won't be a comfortable ride, kid," Abigail laughed as she ran towards Hiro and activated her thrusters. Hiro flinched, "Whoa, wait!" Abigail quickly grabbed the young boy, quickly propelling them along the railway as Hiro screamed in a manner that sounded like he was laughing.

"Well, Mr. Knox needs our help now, right?!" Abigail laughed as she held onto the boy in the air. "Yeah but...! I… really miss Baymax right about now!" Hiro yelled as he desperately hung onto Abigail. It was like flying with Skymax, it wasn't the most comforting ride without Baymax. "Hey! Rude! You're catching a free ride on the 'Kabuki Express!' Be a little more grateful!" Abigail yelled jokingly as they headed towards the flashing end of the distant skirmish.

As they neared the site, Hiro immediately noticed that there was a wall of debris between them. "Umm... Abby! There's a wall!" Hiro yelled, trying to alert her and hoping that she would slow down. She simply laughed, "Wall? I see an opening, silly!" Hiro looked to her frantically, "You better not!"

Abigail laughed, "Relax, kid! It's just like the wind turbine, remember? Have to commit to it! You might want to hug tightly, though!" Hiro was embarrassed but he knew that she was serious, he hugged her tightly so they could maintain a small profile and Abigail embraced him for his protection. Hiro yelled in excitement, both thrilled and scared. He was typically fine with something like this, however only if he was in control or on Baymax.

They pierced between the debris with only light debris brushing around them. They immediately found themselves on the other side of the debris to see the Big Hero 6 cornering the fallen mutated Orso Knox. "Stop! Everyone, just stop!" Hiro yelled to them as Abigail slowed to let him down next to them. They all were immensely relieved to see their young leader unharmed, Fred exclaiming, "You're ok! I thought that you were... not ok!"

Hiro walked between them towards the injured Knox, his hands up to calm both them and the beast. "Everyone, needs to calm down... It's alright... Everything is... alright," Hiro said softly, walking towards the beast that was still on the ground looking towards the boy. Baymax pointed out in warning with his eye still twitching, "/Hiro, your position is unadvisable/"

"Don't worry, Baymax. Knox wasn't trying to hurt me. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone," Hiro reassured them, looking towards the mutated beast with a soft smile. "But didn't he take you prisoner? Oh, was this not a horror movie? Was it a buddy movie, all along!?" Freddy chimed in enthusiastically.

Noticing the grey beast growl towards him, Fred hesitated, "'Horror-buddy'?" Hiro smiled as he looked towards Knox who was standing up slowly, "Just try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises." The beast huffed and stood up, moving back cautiously into the wall and dislodging debris. It caused some loose gravel to fall, making Wasabi sniffle uncontrollably, "Oh, no... So... much... dust! AHCHOO!" He sneezed with an exaggerated volume and motion, causing Knox to become startled and violently pound into the ground with its arms.

The surrounding area cracked and obscured the team's vision with fine debris. By the time Gogo and Abigail could react to the falling ceiling, it had already fallen towards Hiro. They yelled in concern, only to see that the mutated Knox had surprisingly intervened. Placing himself between the falling concrete slab and Hiro, he suspended it over the young boy and broke it in half to protect Hiro. Subsequently falling unconscious, as he saw the boy was unharmed.

"He saved you?!" Honey Lemon remarked in astonishment. Hiro stood up and recomposed himself, looking towards Mr. Knox. "Now, it's our turn to save him," he said as he looked towards his team. They all nodded in agreement. "/I will assist in taking him back to the Sycorax lab/" Baymax pointed out as he moved to grab the unconscious beast. "We'll make sure he gets there safely, Hiro. We're just glad you're okay," Honey Lemon hugged the boy warmly and reassured him as the others nodded, preparing to take Knox back to Sycorax.

Gogo signaled for Skymax, "You might want to change, genius boy. Skymax is bringing your 'ultra-armor' topside." Hiro smiled to his teammate, "Thanks, Gogo." Abigail looked to the boy and she showed her telltale scheming face with her visor up, Hiro immediately shuddered. "Well, can't get suited up down here and Baymax is taking Knox to Sycorax so... all aboard the 'Kabuki Express!'"

Hiro's eyes widened as he looked to the others and Baymax, pleading for help as he raised his arms towards Abigail. "Wait, Abby! Guys… please help! Whoa-!" Hiro yelled, seemingly laughing in excitement as Abigail grabbed the young boy and flew with him through the broken ceiling. They promptly flew to meet Skymax at a secure location for Hiro to don his armor. The team laughed as they prepared to move the unconscious Knox, Honey Lemon creating soft restraints from her chem-balls as a precaution. With the help of Baymax, they headed back towards Sycorax labs.

* * *

At the Sycorax lab building, Abigail, with Hiro in her arms, caught up with the team as they assisted Sycorax personnel in securing the unconscious Knox onto a table. They utilized a strengthened transdermal patch, a modified version of Karmi's design, to administer a highly-potent sedative on the mutated beast. The personnel wheeled the beast into the building, taking him into a secure lab room where the team noticed a preoccupied Karmi standing there.

She was concerned and concentrated, clutching a dual-syringe with a green serum. Hiro smiled, realizing that his rival had undoubtedly worked hard to develop a serum to reverse Knox's mutation. Abigail walked in behind with the rest of the Big Hero 6 team, quickly noticing Karmi among the Sycorax personnel.

She was relieved that she, too, was truly unharmed. Even more so, Abigail swelled with pride in the young girl. She wished that she was not in her 'Lady Kabuki' persona and was able to personally give her a congratulatory hug. This was undoubtedly her time to shine, to show her expertise and intellect in her field. Abigail had no doubt that, after hearing from Hiro that Karmi was able to make a breakthrough trial upon her first attempt, Karmi would be the one to bring Knox back to being human again.

The Sycorax staff were finalizing the preparations for the procedure, wheeling Knox away for them to begin shortly. Hiro watched them closely, walking just besides Karmi. The young girl quickly noticed her hero standing beside her, gasping as she was bursting with energy. She suddenly nestled towards the young hero. "Captain Cutie!" She squealed, startling the boy as he raised his arms to partially block her advance.

She danced and ran in place in her excitement, to Hiro's chagrin. He had to play into the charade, "Yup, that's me. 'Captain Cutie.'" The young hero squirmed as he said that name. Gogo and Abigail looked at each other and snickered, knowing they had more fuel to tease the boy later.

Karmi quickly placed her hand on Hiro's arm, reassuring him with her confidence, "I promise you, we'll cure Mr. Knox." Hiro smiled towards his rival and placed his hand on hers with faith in her abilities, "Karmi, I know you will." He promptly turned around to walk towards his team so they could proceed. He had to admit, he would have to recognize that this was Karmi's field of expertise and it was certainly why he had chosen to ask for her help to save Orso Knox. In just one single trial, she was able to make a breakthrough in changing him back, he knew that she would succeed. He conceded that he would have to congratulate her in the near future when this was all said and done.

"Wait! What about Hiro...? Was he... hurt?" Karmi asked, she was notably concerned for the boy. Abigail immediately grinned, she muttered softly to herself with satisfaction, "That 'a girl, Karmi." Hiro was immediately caught off guard, he gasped in his normal voice and tried to catch himself. Grunting in his exaggerated 'Captain Cutie' voice, "Umm..."

Gogo immediately skated forward to place her hand on Hiro's shoulder, "Your _friend_, Hiro, is fine." Karmi got embarrassed and corrected them, "He's not my friend...! I barely know him, really..." She smiled as she talked about her rival, unbeknownst he was actually standing before her.

Hiro shyly attempted to play off the situation, adopting his "gruffer" voice, "Right! Let's go..." He shuffled to the side as his team watched him try to escape the scene and avoid showing his embarrassment. As he shuffled out towards the lab room's exit, he saw Abigail looking towards him with her hand on her hip amusedly.

He muttered to her with narrowed eyes, "Don't give me that look." Abigail was stifling her laughter, pointing at her face that was being hidden by the polarized Kabuki mask design. She whispered mockingly, "What look are you talking about?" Hiro groaned, "Well… Just… Not a word about this."

Gogo skated next to him and Abigail, snidely remarking, "Don't worry, boy genius. We won't talk about it _for now_." She looked to Abigail, who was on the same page. Abigail chuckled, "Yeah, _for now."_ Hiro simply groaned, to the two women's amusement. "Unbelievable..."

* * *

Back at SFIT's "Periodic Table Cafe," Karmi stood in line as she poured ketchup onto her cheeseburger. She immediately noticed another tray slide next to her, quickly realizing it was her rival, Hiro, standing beside her. "So, Karmi, did your serum work?" the young boy asked her, smiling towards her. Karmi smirked and then composed herself humbly, "Yes, but it's not _my_ serum. At Sycorax, we don't like words like 'my' or 'me,' the breakthrough was a _team_ effort..."

She reached down to grab a cup of soda, casually placing a straw into the container. She looked away, continuing to smirk with pride, "... Based almost completely on _my_ work." She took a sip out of her straw, beaming with pride that she was the one to change Mr. Knox back to normal despite all of the efforts of Sycorax's established Knox team of geneticists. "Well, I guess Mr. Knox really owes one to the 'Sycorax team,'" Hiro commented, conceding that Karmi had indeed pulled off an impressive feat and that she was the right person to go to when he knew something was up with Knox's progress. He smiled at his rival, knowing full well that she was proud of her own work despite Sycorax's team-oriented culture. And he thought that it was well deserved.

Karmi smiled back, it was a pleasant change of things to be congratulated by her rival. She thought about Abigail, admitting that perhaps she could be right in the future about the two rivals becoming on more friendly terms. Admittedly, Karmi was also relieved to see that the young boy was unharmed from the incident. "You know, Hiro... And don't get the wrong idea! But... I'm glad that you weren't hurt," Karmi said, a bit awkwardly but continued to smile at him. Hiro was caught off guard, "Oh, right! Thanks... well, Mr. Knox wasn't really trying to hurt us. He was... just a big eater... Not trying to eat us or me, of course! Just the food we had around us!"

Karmi chuckled awkwardly, then her face turned serious for a moment as she lightly punched the boy's arm, "Next time, don't go shutting down containment protocols and baiting monsters!" Hiro laughed as he stumbled to keep his food tray steady, "Hey, watch the drink!" Karmi laughed, looking towards him, "Well, still... you're definitely no 'Captain Cutie...' but it was still brave of you to try to lock him back up so we could be safe. And... overriding the containment protocols did help me and Baymax get out, so thanks."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess," Hiro chuckled, shyly finding it awkward about her Captain Cutie comment and the irony behind it. They both laughed as they moved to sit at a lunch table together, it was an oddly friendly situation they found themselves in but simply rolled with it for the time being. Hiro quickly scanned around, making sure that Abigail or Gogo were not around to poke fun at him. Seeing that the coast was clear, he sighed in relief and the two continued their conversation around class assignments from Professor Granville. It has been an odd few days between the two rivals.


	19. Deadline to Disintegration (Part One)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 19: Deadline to Disintegration (Part One)**

_It was not a quiet day for our heroine, Karmi, during her extremely important internship. There was a catastrophe at the bio-labs of Sycorax! The horribly mutated Orso Knox had escaped from his confines in the secure genetics lab, taking with him Karmi's very small and puny classmate, Hiro. But inside that monster, was a person waiting to be changed back, and it was up to none-other-than Karmi to set him free. As she escaped from the bio-labs, she immediately met with her heroic teammates from the Big Hero 7 team. _

"_Karmi! We need your help to change Mr. Knox back to normal and only you can do it! We'll capture him but it will be all up to you to fix him!" Speed Queen dashed up to Karmi, requesting her help. "Don't worry, I am on it, guys! I'm heading back to my incredibly important lab to use my viral proteins, I'll have a serum ready when you have Mr. Knox." All of the Big Hero 6 team members' eyes sparkled as they were grateful for Karmi's help. Noticing that her beloved Captain Cutie was not among them, she figured that their fearless leader was probably already bravely looking for the beast with Red Panda._

_She quickly gave a call to her beloved hero, who quickly responded to his beautiful girlfriend, "Karmi! Don't worry, I will save your little classmate, Hiro. We'll rescue him from the giant beast." Karmi's eyes sparkled with admiration at his heroic bravery and courage to face the monster. She saw her hero as a shining knight going to face the dragon. But she couldn't help but be worried for his safety, "Captain Cutie! Please be careful. Your team isn't with you yet and Mr. Knox is very dangerous."_

_Captain Cutie simply smiled confidently, there was no hint of fear or worry. "Thank you for worrying about me, Karmi. But I will be fine! And I have a special friend who will help my team track down Knox." On the video chat screen, Karmi saw her beloved young hero press a button on his super-suit. Soon after, Karmi saw that another hero flew in and arrived behind Captain Cutie, a white-armored heroine named "Lady Kabuki"-_

* * *

Abigail quickly interrupted Freddy while he was reading Karmi's latest fan-fiction chapter, "Wait, wait, wait… Did Karmi give me a super hero name and it was the very same name Hiro gave my exosuit?!" Abigail quickly looked towards Hiro, who had sharply smacked his forehead. It wasn't bad enough that they were reading the embarrassing fanfiction out loud, but now it was apparent Hiro and Karmi had shared the same naming idea coincidentally. Gogo paused her work, lifting up her blast shield mask to look at Hiro, "Looks like great minds think alike. You should get into fanfiction writing too, Captain Cutie."

"That's… just a fluke! She was giving names to everyone, she was bound to have a good one for at least one of us! And, no! Fanfiction writing is just the worst! Especially hers," Hiro exclaimed as he pouted, having already been flustered with them reading Karmi's fanfiction chapter about him being captured. "/ Writing stories can be a healthy form of self-expression/" Baymax pointed out, as the others all nodded in agreement. Hiro's eyes simply narrowed, unamused at the group.

Suddenly, Hiro's phone rang, an image of Mr. Krei on his screen vibrated. Thinking this was another internship task, Hiro sighed heavily as he answered the call, "Yes, what now, Mr. Krei?" Hearing him on the phone, Krei chuckled nervously, "Hey, funny thing… I could really use Big Hero 6's help right now. Can you swing by my office? Like… now?!" Hiro's eyes widened with curiosity, realizing that this was a different matter altogether, "Oh… yeah. We'll be there in a moment." He hung up, looking at everyone. "Hey guys, Mr. Krei needs our help with something. Let's get suited up and meet at his office." Everyone looked at each other, curious of what was going on but nodded as they all contacted the Skymaxes to bring their suits to them, including Abigail's AEXOS system through ODIN's help.

Once they arrived at the top floor of Krei Tech Industries' main building, they met with an anxious Alistair Krei who was awaiting them. "What's going on, Alistair? You look like you did something suspicious," Abigail said half-jokingly, wondering why he had suddenly called on Big Hero 6 to help him. "Well… not me. But this is something that could be… well, very serious…" Krei said nervously as he switched on his holographic screen behind him on his window. The screen was populated by the intricate schematics for a medium-sized device, making Fred gasp audibly to everyone's surprise, "Oh, no! It's that thing…!"

Everyone looked to the Kaiju-suit wearing hero, his helmet popping off as they saw his worried expression. He looked around at everyone, "Just kidding, I have no idea what I am looking at. What are we looking at, Mr. Krei-Krei?" Normally, Mr. Krei would be unamused at Fred's antics, but he simply sighed, looking to the super-hero team, "It's an enhanced disintegration device… You guys are very familiar with it since you escaped from one that was used on Akuma Island to destroy my old lab there…" This time everyone had genuinely gasped, including Fred.

"Let me guess, you somehow misplaced one?" Gogo chimed in with a hint of annoyance but lacking in surprise. Krei immediately responded defensively, "What? No! More like… it got stolen from me from one of my most highly protected and secretive locations somehow…" Alistair pulled up some images and video recordings from the secure location, the area that housed the device had several holes that were cut with surgical precision. Fred gasped, "Noodle Burger B-" but was interrupted as everyone else simultaneously conceded, "Momokase." Freddy chuckled, "Yes, exactly who I was thinking about, too. Great job, guys. Completely on the same page here."

"Do you happen to have a tracking system on this device, Mr. Krei?" Wasabi asked the executive, hoping that his company had arranged an organized means of keeping accountability for such an important device. Alistair frowned, "Yes, I do have a tracking system built within the device. Well, at least I did…" He pulled up another image, showing a metallic component that had been surgically removed from the disintegration device. "It's become quite clear that the thief had solid intelligence, not only on the whereabouts of my device but… also where the tracking mechanism was being housed within it." Wasabi sighed heavily with concern, "And… of course."

"She's made her next move and we _still_ don't have a means to track her down with all of her buddy guards carrying graphene blades on them…" Hiro thought aloud, his hands resting near his face as he pondered on how they could deal with this situation. They couldn't track her movements still, and worst yet, she now had a device that could cause serious damage within populated areas of the city. Abigail turned towards the armored healthcare companion, "Baymax, can you share with ODIN a direct telemetry of your current scans for graphene heat signatures, please?"

"/Certainly, Abigail. One moment, please /" Baymax pointed out, taking the moment to use his enhanced scanner to look around the city. Once again, it was notably taking a while for him to complete this scan, as there were a multitude of signatures populating throughout the process and the grid on his visor was constantly updating. "/Graphene heat signature scan complete. Sending live telemetry to ODIN, now/" Baymax complied, looking towards Abigail. She smiled towards the robot, her visor began to populate with the live stream of data overlay, looking around the city as she saw the 253 graphene signatures strewn throughout the city.

"ODIN, can you analyze for any movement patterns that could indicate Momokase's location? Create an active filter, determine which signatures are less mobile and which are moving in a manner that is inconsistent with Momokase's previous movement patterns," Abigail requested as she raised her palm, revealing a holographic overlay displaying an active map of San Fransokyo with the signatures moving randomly about. Everyone gathered around her, looking at the digital representation of the situation.

"ODIN, cycle through visual filters. Which signatures are less mobile, which signatures are at known locations that match Momokase's previous activity and her psychological profile…" Abigail commanded, her eyes hyper-focused on the intelligence they were gathering from Baymax's and ODIN's scans. ODIN chimed in as he processed the information, "/ There are no discernible patterns to determine the exact location of Momokase based on current parameters, my lady. With current data, I can confidently eliminate only 30% of the 253 graphene signatures as being the most improbable targets. /" As they all looked at the dynamically moving display with the updated signatures that remained, Abigail grunted with frustration.

"That still leaves 177 graphene signatures that could be Momokase…" Honey Lemon remarked, trying to figure out a way to further improve their chances of pinpointing her. Hiro shook his head as he wiped his hand through his messy hair, "How is it that she's had access to all of this information and tech? She's obviously hacked through Krei Tech's systems somehow. She's several steps ahead of us. She wouldn't be capable of this on her own… Unless…" Suddenly, Mr. Krei's holographic screen along his office's windows flashed green, the image that appeared made Hiro's heart skip. The visage of a one-eyed demon with its tongue ominously slithering down had suddenly appeared, it was an image that Hiro did not want to ever see again, "Obake… it couldn't be."

Suddenly, the screen transitioned to show the very person they were searching for. Wearing her usual black-and-blue stealth suit and her blue eye mask, Momokase smiled confidently, "No. Thanks to you, boy. That man is no more. But I assure you, I'm putting all of his intel and toys to good use in his stead… By now, you are well aware of what I have in my possession, no?" Hiro squeezed his fists intensely, "Why are you doing this?" Momokase simply laughed, "Isn't it obvious? I want another chance to fight you all again, and this time I won't lose. I admit you have all been quite the bothersome bunch, but I needed a good way to challenge you all with a fun little game. A game called, 'Find the disintegration device in your beloved city in time before a chunk of it disappears.' It may not be anything like yours and Obake's star, but seeing at least a part of the city go up in a flash seems rather appropriate, don't you think?" Hiro gritted his teeth in anger. Fred quickly chimed in, "Hmm… I would've come up with a better name for the game than that. I mean, c'mon. Dig deeper. How about 'Deactivate or Disintegrate…' or… Oh, no! How about the 'Deadline to Disintegration' game!"

Gogo quickly elbowed Freddy's arm who yelped quickly, shaking her head at him, "Fred! Not now!" On the screen, Momokase simply laughed connivingly, "Well, you are right. Not now. You actually have until midnight tonight to find and deactivate Mr. Krei's disintegration device, somewhere here in the city. I look forward to a challenging fight, don't disappoint me, Big Hero 6." Shortly after, the screen shuttered and distorted, returning back to the previous screens showcasing the schematics of the disintegration device. "This isn't good…" Honey Lemon said, her hands grasping on her hair to make two pig-tails.

"Okay… that was creepy. How was she able to contact us? We have to assume that she is able to listen in on us _right now_…" Wasabi shuddered, looking around as if there could be a hidden camera that she was using to spy on them. Immediately, Hiro moved towards Krei's computer at his desk and pulled out a tablet to link into it. Krei objected momentarily, "Hey, what are you doing?!" Hiro looked towards the business tycoon with an eyebrow raised, "Really? You're worried about me hacking into your computer? I've already dipped into your database before, remember? It's obvious that Momokase is using Obake's tech, he must have hacked into your systems before…"

"Fine… just… don't go doing anything weird while you're in there…" Krei sighed as he let the young tech genius peruse through his personal computer. Hiro continued to look through the data, his eyes shifting around as he scanned through all of the encrypted information for hidden details or subtle evidence of a security breach. His eyes immediately widened as he came to the realization of when Mr. Krei's computer was accessed, "The black-market data chip… you didn't do a security analysis of it, did you?" Mr. Krei's mouth went open, realizing his mistake when he didn't call on his tech security team to look through the chip due to his ironic paranoia of a security breach. "Well, I was kidnapped… it does things to you…" Krei admitted, realizing that he was deceived. "Obake… he probably hired the Mad Jacks to make you paranoid and then counted on us to retrieve the chip for you. The black-market data chip was a trojan horse, it provided him with back-door access to your systems… and you let him right in. That's how Momokase learned about the disintegration device and all of your buddy guard shipments," Hiro explained, hating to admit that they had all played into Obake's hands. And due to his scheme, Momokase was benefitting from that madman's information.

"Can you do anything about it, now?" Krei pleaded, feeling completely violated by the massive invasion into his database and privacy. Hiro interlocked his fingers and extended his arms forward, cracking his knuckles. "Obake was… really good, it will take me a bit of time for me to clean out his program, but I can do it…" Hiro said as he began to work through his tablet, attempting to deny Momokase's ability to access the Krei Tech database and listen in on them. Concentrating on the task, Hiro focused as he input various commands and perused through the coding. His face was especially serious, "C'mon… c'mon…There! And that should do it… Momokase won't have any more access to your system. She can't listen in on us anymore."

"Good. Because we need to get to work _right now_, even if we need to locate and destroy each of the graphene signatures to locate Momokase and that device," Gogo prepared to leave but was promptly stopped by Abigail. Looking towards her colleague, Abigail put a hand on her shoulder, "I agree we need to get to work, but we don't have the time to attack each signature even if we all split up right now…" Gogo growled lightly in frustration but calmed down as she looked to Abigail and nodded solemnly. "Now that Momokase can no longer listen in on us… We're going to need to put our heads together and come up with a plan," Wasabi chimed in. The situation was dire, but he knew that diving into it without a plan of attack could result in disaster or complete failure. The stakes were too high to risk that.

"The problem is that there are too many buddy guards masking her movements, if only there was a way to take care of the buddy guards but there are way too many of them…" Honey Lemon remarked, when Fred suddenly jumped up in excitement. "Yes! I know how we can take care of them all at once! In Issue 274 of 'Dr. Slaughter, MD,' millionaire weapons designer Malcolm Chastletick developed a super, diabolic weapon that was able to destroy all of the equipment on board a massive army of drones that were being sent in to apprehend him!" Wasabi looked at the eccentric young man, "That sounds all well and good, Fred. But what do we have in the real world that can do something like that?"

Hiro laughed with a moment of sudden serendipity, "Oh, that's it! That's brilliant, Fred! That's an angle we should look in to… Something that could knock out the buddy guards' systems and Momokase's scan jammer tech in a wide radius… kind of like Bessy! We could develop some micro-EMP devices and deactivate the drones and be able to scan for Momokase! Perhaps, even momentarily deactivate the disintegration device and buy us more time to locate it and dispose of it properly." Abigail was impressed but sighed with concern, "The premise behind the plan is solid, Hiro. But… won't our tech be knocked out, too? How can Baymax or ODIN scan for Momokase if our systems are down as well?"

Hiro nodded, looking towards Gogo, "We'll need to take this time to upgrade our armor's electronic components. It's possible to develop some shielding against electromagnetic radiation from an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) burst." Gogo immediately understood where Hiro was going with this, smiling as she continued his thought, "Of course! Faraday-type shielding! I can modify our armor to emit electrical charges that can distribute and cancel out the external electromagnetic field from our controlled EMP bursts." When it came to matters regarding electromagnetism, Hiro and Gogo were experts in that field. They could make the necessary upgrades to reinforce their system's shielding against EMP radiation. Admittedly, Hiro had to wonder if these upgrades could even help mitigate the effects of the Bessy meteorite, but truthfully, the mechanisms that Bessy operated on were still a mystery.

Wasabi looked towards the boy genius with concern, "But, Hiro… wouldn't we cause some damage or chaos among the populace if we use EMP devices throughout the city?" Abigail placed her hand calmingly on Wasabi's shoulder, "It has its risks, but if we don't address the drones or the disintegration device itself… Momokase could do some real damage and put a lot of people in danger…" Wasabi understood their reasoning, sighing but nodding in agreement. That device could instantly vaporize property, and everyone within its vicinity along with it.

Hiro looked to his cautious teammate, "Actually, Wasabi... That's why I want you to work on the micro-EMP devices with me, we'll need to be very precise in the device's exact output so it doesn't permanently cause damage to the city's electronic infrastructure and will have a controlled range so we can properly predict its effects. That should help to mitigate the collateral damage caused by activating EMP bursts within the city. How do you feel about that?" Under the circumstances, Wasabi nodded to his young leader, relieved that they had a plan to lessen the potential damage they could be causing. "Need precision and exactness? You're asking the right person for the job, little man. Of course, I'm in." Hiro smiled, glad that they were getting a viable plan together.

The boy genius tried to look at the situation at various angles, a lot was at stake. He began thinking about the device itself. How would they be able to deal with it? At least, initially? Perhaps the only member of the team who had the capability of hacking the device's systems to deactivate it was himself or even ODIN. But what if the team needed to bide more time and one of the others had found the disintegration device? They needed some kind of countermeasure that would be available among all of them, should they encounter the device. His eyes brightened as he looked to the right person for this situation.

"Honey Lemon! Would you be able to at least temporarily interrupt or delay the mechanical and electronic components of the disintegration device?" Hiro inquired of the chemistry genius. She thought about it for a moment, then grinned, "Yes! I could. If we can get our hands on the device, I can chemically delay the device by supplying it with freezing agents to halt its systems for a time. A combination of CO2 and liquid nitrogen should do just the trick!" Honey Lemon quickly clapped her hands in excitement, knowing exactly what ratio and amount of chemicals would be required for this countermeasure. Hiro smiled at her, "Great! All of us will need to be able to use it, so I will work with you to create a time-released device that we can all carry on us. We're not as good at handling chem-balls as you, after all." Honey Lemon laughed, "That's a great plan, Hiro!"

Seeing that the young boy was taking charge and accounting for everything, Abigail stepped forward, "What can I do, boy genius?" Hiro turned around to look towards the white-armored Kabuki-masked woman, "Abby, I'll need you to continue coordinating between Baymax and ODIN's surveillance analysis. We will only have a limited amount of micro-EMP devices and areas we can activate them, we need to determine the most likely areas that Momokase will have the disintegration device hidden at and focus our efforts at those locations. And also, I want you to be in charge of directing Fred and Mini-Max to key locations…"

Hiro then turned towards the Kaiju-suit clad hero, "Fred, you're going to run reconnaissance with Mini-Max at the most likely areas that the device or Momokase might be at. But you won't be engaging the buddy guards or even Momokase, it will be a stealth mission for you. Your main objective is to hopefully locate the device sooner and alert us." Fred was visibly excited, "Yes! An exciting mission for secret agent 'Fredzilla!'" Then, he paused to think about how he would go about the clandestine scouting mission, "Not to doubt your awesome planning, Hiro. But, how am I going to sneak around in my Kaiju suit?" Hiro laughed, putting his finger on his cheek, "Well, guess this is a good time as ever to introduce you to a prototype suit that I've been working on for you… Mind you, it's not fully tested, but it does have an optical camouflage system that will be perfect for your sneaking mission. Mini-Max will need to be inside your suit, but he should be able to help you scan for the device, with any luck. Just don't be too daring with it, I have yet to perfect it!" Fred was giddy, prepared to see what he would be using for this operation, "A new super suit and a sneaking mission! Freddy so happy!"

Looking towards Mr. Krei, who was standing anxiously as he watched the team delegate their roles and planned, Hiro requested, "Mr. Krei, I'm going to need you to send all of your information on the disintegration device to Abigail and I. We'll need to know everything about its design, its effective blast radius and all of its features including safeguards and countermeasures that were in place." The business executive sighed and nodded, "Alright, Hiro. I'll send all of our data regarding the device. Or at least Junie will… Assistant! I need your help!"

The young leader of the Big Hero 6 team nodded, looking at them with confidence in their planning, "We have less than fourteen hours before midnight… Ok, team. The city needs us, once again. Let's put our big brains to work. It's hero time!" His fist rose up enthusiastically, everyone agreed with the utmost motivation and were ready to get to work on their respective roles in the plan. Freddy chimed in, "Wait, do you mean 'Hiro time' or do you mean… Oh, wait. Ok, I see what you did there… Yeah, it's hero time!" Hiro's eyes narrowed, losing his initial enthusiasm, "Yeah, well… Let's just get to the lab…"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well! I guess you can consider this as the first of a two-part "mid-season finale" of sorts! I am still planning out how I want this series to integrate with the main series without becoming too tied in with the "City of Monsters" arc. The Baymax rescue mission and Liv Amara storyline are two rather large plot points that would be too big to mix together and detract from each other. Or at least I that's how I feel about it. So, in the meantime, this story should act like an epic "mid-season finale!" Stay tuned for part two!**


	20. Deadline to Disintegration (Part Two)

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 20: Deadline to Disintegration (Part Two)**

In an abandoned industrial warehouse, a distorted, invisible apparition stalked along the ceiling wall. Fred, using the new prototype chameleon-based suit, crawled with his claws and curled tail to remain inverted along the ceiling. With the suit's eyes moving independently of each other, Fred searched the building for any suspicious activity that could indicate Momokase or the disintegration device. He keyed into the communications net, "Umm… I don't mean to alarm anyone but… it's getting _pretty_ alarming that I am coming up empty. This is the 'thirty-somethingth' abandoned, 'supervillain-y' looking warehouse I have checked out and I am yet to find Momokase or our scary 'vaporizing death machine…'"

Within the suit, Mini-Max lay on Fred's shoulder, "/ But, at least you have gotten a lot of practice at sneaking into enemy lairs undetected! /" Fred put his hands on his hips triumphantly, remaining attached to a pipe on the ceiling, "You're right, Mini- Max! At least my secret agent spying skills are leveling up!"

Back at the Krei Tech Industries main lab, Abigail was tracking Fred and Mini-Max's movements throughout the city as they conducted their search and reconnaissance mission. "You're doing good, Freddy. It still helps to rule out areas and cross them off of our area of operation. The narrower we can get it, the better. I'll continue monitoring your situation from here, if you come up on any trouble, Baymax, ODIN and I will be able to bail you out. Your suit isn't optimized for combat encounters, so be careful. ODIN has highlighted other spots we want to check out, keep me updated if anything happens," Abigail responded to Fred through the team communications net.

"Roger! By the way, I wonder who 'Roger' is, anyways? Does he know that everyone on the radio keeps using his name? But, yeah! Roger that, Abby! Fredalicious, out!" Fred concluded his radio transmission as he continued his sneaking mission throughout the city to investigate graphene signatures. At this point, Abigail was utilizing a larger holographic table that provided a three-dimensional overlay of San Fransokyo city, providing a real-time situational map that tracked Fred's movements and updated areas that were already reconnoitered. "ODIN, update the map to reflect all areas that Fred has already checked, track the graphene signatures from there and discount them from the running total. We can assume they're not our targets and can slim our numbers down," Abigail noted as she continued to scan through the map. "/ Indeed, my lady. Updating the area of operations /" ODIN responded as he worked to filter the data to more accurately portray the situation.

Abigail looked off towards the rest of the lab room, looking at each of the Big Hero 6 team members working fervently on their parts of the operation. Quite some time has elapsed since they first began their work and first learned about Momokase's plot, they only had five more hours before midnight. But the preparations and equipment they needed to build, under such short notice and within a small timeframe, was proving to be a technical hurdle they had to contend with. Abigail looked towards the young boy genius, his mind was moving at a million miles per hour and his creative flow peaking at an overdrive mode. Every hour that passed dawned on them, they had to make this work. Hiro had been overextending himself, moving between each of the members to assist and oversee each of their projects.

With Gogo in charge of upgrading each of their ultra-armor suits, including Abigail's Lady Kabuki exosuit, she was able to reconfigure their electronic components to have improved electromagnetic shielding capabilities. At first, she and Hiro would design specific schematics for each suit's unique electronics design, allowing for Gogo to mechanically construct a Faraday shielding for each suit. The upgrade utilizes a continuous covering of conductive material and also a modified reactive system that can actively counteract an external electromagnetic field through precise electrical charge emissions. This would effectively help to cancel out the effects of a low-intensity EMP burst.

This was also possible to account for because Gogo would be able to design the Faraday shielding system within the suits based on the parameters that Wasabi calibrated in the mini-EMP devices that he and Hiro were developing. While Hiro had helped to develop a base design for the EMP device, including its shell casing and electronics, Wasabi was able to fine-tune its functionality and effective range. Much in the same way that Wasabi utilizes magnetic confinement to provide enhanced precision for his laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy that produces his plasma blades, Wasabi was able to utilize this knowledge to control the EMP device's intended effects. He was well-aware that using this technology can further disrupt the situation and possibly endanger lives as power goes out. He did not want to permanently damage systems and risk hurting people as grids go down momentarily. The intention of using these devices was so they could disrupt the drones and Momokase's scan jammer long enough to identify her whereabouts, as well as disrupt the disintegration device temporarily.

Lastly, Hiro had to rotate throughout the lab room and assist Honey Lemon in devising a portable delivery system that would allow the rest of the team to have the same chemically-disabling capability as Honey Lemon, should they come upon the disintegration device. Modifying chem-balls from Honey Lemon, each composed of a specific ratio of CO2 and liquid nitrogen, Hiro was able to create a time-released device that could cause the freezing agents of the chem-ball to react upon activation. It had a magnetic component to allow for the device to latch onto the disintegration device, effectively targeting the device and releasing the chemicals to freeze it whole. Theoretically, this would be able to help freeze up the device's systems and bide time for them to dispose of it. Of which, Hiro and ODIN had studied Mr. Krei's blueprint schematics to have an understanding on how they could hack the system and deactivate it.

Seeing that his team members were finalizing their portions of the plan, Hiro sighed heavily with both exhaustion and momentary relief at their progress. He looked towards his healthcare companion, whose footsteps were audibly squeaking towards the young boy. He looked up to see that the robot had a plate with an almond-butter jelly sandwich, "/ Hiro, it is important that you remain nourished while working hard./ " Hiro smiled, grabbing the sandwich to take a bite, "Nice! Thanks, buddy." Abigail spoke towards the boy across the room, "Hiro, if you've got a moment, I wanted to discuss the situation and our new potential target areas…"

The boy genius nodded as he moved towards Abigail and the holographic table display of the city, continuing to munch away at his almond-butter jelly sandwich. "What do you have so far, Abby?" Abigail waved her hand and extended her fingers out to rotate the holographic map and zoom into the image to showcase various buildings, "So far, I had Fred recon areas of the city that would present the most densely-populated and active soft targets for Momokase to hit. But none of these areas turned up with anything except for buddy guards roaming around as diversions. These were all areas within downtown San Fransokyo, which would have been optimal targets for her to threaten… so I found it strange…"

Abigail continued to manipulate the three-dimensional overlay to demonstrate the areas that she and ODIN had ruled out thanks to Fred's actions on the ground. She continued to think aloud, "So it had me thinking… When I reviewed the video feed of our last transmission with Momokase, it was faint, but the background appeared to be in a more forested area within the city. And from what we do know from Alistair's intel, the disintegration device has an effective blast radius of three kilometers. Compared to the total 80 square kilometers that the city spans, it's a small area that would be affected. So perhaps I was going about it all wrong… Based on Momokase's psychological profile and the limited range, she would not simply want to maximize her damage or the amount of people she can catch within the device's blast…"

Finishing his sandwich, Hiro simply continued to listen as he allowed her to continue her analysis, "From ODIN's and my analysis, it's reasonable to suspect that we can rule out the disintegration device's presence on the eastern side of the city in its more metropolitan areas. If it's in a more forested area, then it must be somewhere on the western side of San Fransokyo. So, it would be in the more open, residential districts. Where ever she chose, it must have been for a more personal reason…" Abigail now manipulated the map, shifting the view away from the areas that she and Fred had ruled out and now focusing on the western districts of San Fransokyo. Hiro and the team had been dealing with Momokase for some time, he looked at the updated map and tried to think what she was planning. His heart sank as he had a distinctly disturbing intuition of where Momokase was targeting…

Suddenly, ODIN chimed in, "/ Miss Abigail, Hiro… Krei Tech Industries is receiving an incoming transmission from an unidentified, secure source. Unable to trace its origins. Would you like to proceed with the call? /" The team all stopped in place, Abigail and Hiro looked towards each other and nodded. Abigail polarized her helmet. "Proceed, ODIN," Abigail answered promptly. A holographic screen along the wall appeared, Momokase stood in the middle grinning towards the heroes, "Well, I am impressed that you caught Obake's little intrusion in that imbecile's systems. Undoubtedly, you have all been working tirelessly to figure out a way to locate the device. But time is running a bit short and while I am enjoying this game, I think you could all stand to have at least one single hint. I want to enjoy a fight with each of you so a nudge in the right direction might do the trick for our upcoming rendezvous. Would you like to hear it?"

Abigail and Hiro looked to each other, then back at the scheming villain. Hiro answered firmly with frustration, "Fine." Momokase smiled connivingly, "To give you a hint of where I placed the device, let's just say that it is well within range to vaporize the only woman to have ever bested me in a food fight…" Hiro immediately slammed his fist down towards the holographic table, damaging the electronics in the vicinity, "Leave Aunt Cass out of this, you coward! You're definitely not getting away with this! I'll personally see to it that you won't be able to threaten anyone else ever again, Momokase!" The villain simply laughed and whistled in amusement, "Well, well. Such a temper! Seems I struck a nerve, didn't I? It suits you, boy. To ensure I had your unfettered attention, I knew I needed to threaten someone you cared about. Already had your precious girlfriend before, so it looks like I chose the right one for the occasion. And no funny ideas of evacuating her or any others, I'll simply shorten your deadline and I don't think you want that… I expect a good fight out of you yet. See you before midnight, Big Hero 6."

The screen cut out to black as Hiro slammed his hands down on the table, leaning heavily on it as he gritted his teeth, "Aunt Cass…" Everyone motioned to calm the boy, his healthcare companion noted, "/Hiro, your blood pressure is rising rapidly- /" Hiro shot up angrily, quickly donning his helmet and looking towards the robot, "Baymax, suit up! We're heading out, now!" Gogo immediately skated towards the young boy and gripped his shoulders, both firmly but attempting to bring him back to his senses, "Hiro, I understand you're worried. But Momokase wants you to rush in. She's toying with you-" Hiro suddenly jerked and pushed his friend's hands away from him, "Gogo, get out of my way!" But she persisted and pulled him in rapidly to hug the young boy. She knew that he was upset, but more so, he was frustrated out of fear and desperation. She had seen him like this before… when he had desperately wanted to deactivate Baymax's healthcare chip to terminate Professor Callaghan.

As she embraced the young boy, she felt him tremble and attempt to stifle his sniffling. She calmly pushed him away from her and slowly lifted his helmet off of his head. Beyond his messy black hair, his eyes glistened with stifled tears as his gaze was fixed towards the floor. He was incredibly angry, but he was mostly deathly afraid of losing Aunt Cass. He couldn't stand to lose his last family member. Gogo knew this was probably Momokase's strategy, intending to get their young leader to become emotionally compromised. "Gogo… Guys… Aunt Cass is…" he choked up, his eyes pleading for a way to fix the situation right this moment. Gogo continued for him, "…Is going to be safe, so long as we keep our heads focused and follow the plan. We're going to stop that device and Momokase. A lot is at stake, so we can't risk diving in unprepared. We have to do it right."

Abigail came behind the young boy, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Hiro, you've been keeping us all focused in putting together this operation. You are the big brains in charge of this plan, we need you to be fully present and with it. Your team needs their leader." Honey Lemon chimed in, coming in to embrace their young leader heartfully, "We are all worried for Aunt Cass, too. But she's counting on us. She's counting on you, Hiro." Wasabi joined in, "We have more intel now to work off of, we just need to finalize the plan and then execute. But rushing in now would only play into her hands. Alright? So, what's the plan, little man?" Finally, Baymax surrounded the group and embraced all of them, "/ It is important to face challenges alongside friends you trust/"

From the communications system, Fred's voice suddenly rang out, "Umm… guys? Haven't heard from anyone in a while… did something, happen? Getting a bit lonely… I've checked all of my areas, Abby. Nothing, nada! What else should I do, guys?" Hiro chuckled and shortly sniffled, looking to all of his team with gratitude, "Thanks, guys… You're right…. Let's do this the right way." They all released him as he took a deep breath to calm himself and regain composure. He moved over towards the holographic table, "Fred, return to base. Switch out to your ultra-armor, we'll brief you along the way." Fred immediately responded in an attempt at an indistinct accent, most likely a British accent, "Roger that!"

Hiro rested his hands and leaned on the holographic table, closing his eyes as he gathered his thoughts and recomposed himself. He opened his eyes, looking at the portion of the screen that was damaged when he slammed his fist into it. That portion of the hologram was distorted and flickering. He realized how he needed to readjust the plan, "Yes… we'll just have to activate our micro-EMP devices to cover the effective blast radius that intersects with the Lucky Cat Café. Abby, you were right. Her transmissions were always from a forested area…"

Abigail simply nodded, she took the time to manipulate the holographic map to now focus within the appropriate projected range around the Lucky Cat Café and its surrounding districts. She quickly highlighted all of the surrounding forested areas within a three-kilometer distance from the Lucky Cat Café as the targeted epicenter. Hiro continued, "That leaves five potential areas for us to activate our micro-EMP devices and search for the disintegration device." The young boy now pointed towards each highlighted area, "That's going to be: University of San Fransokyo, Golden Gyoen Park, Futatsu Peaks, the Koganei Panhandle and Ueno Vista Park. The SFIT campus within Golden Gyoen Park, too, since that's a lot of ground to cover in the park. Which gives us six locations to focus on."

"Looks like we have to split up and attack each location simultaneously," Gogo noted as she crossed her arms and blew a bubble from her chewing gum. Listening in on their briefing, Freddy chimed in, "Oh! So, then we all just have to call dibs on our spots, right? Well… I got the Mount Tsukuba campus of University of San Fransokyo! I am _pretty_ familiar with the area." The team all wore a curious and weirded-out expression, so Wasabi took the bite, "Um… Okay? But why, Fred? And how do you even know the campus name, let alone know the area?" Fred chuckled through the comms, "Oh, yeah, that's right… Well, I go there!" Gogo snidely remarked with serious curiosity, "You mean to go raid their cafeteria, right?" Freddy laughed, "Their food isn't as good as the Periodic Table Café… but no! I mean, I really go there. You know, to study and all that good stuff. I may be a major 'science enthusiast.' But I actually _do_ major in English, you know." Everyone's mouth dropped, but they just rolled with it. Hiro nodded, "Hmm… didn't know that but… Ok, Fred. University of San Fransokyo is all yours." Fred responded enthusiastically, "Roger-roger!"

"And I'll take the Koganei Panhandle, I drive through there pretty frequently and… Umm… I'm pretty familiar with the area since I have a spot there to meditate. It's a spot where my allergies don't act up and dog walkers don't go, so I don't have to worry about…" Wasabi explained, then caught himself, "Yeah. I'll take that area, though." Hiro laughed and nodded, "Ok, Wasabi has Koganei Panhandle. What about you guys?" Hiro looked towards Honey Lemon and Gogo, who then looked towards each other and nodded as they had both seemed to realize where they would choose. "Gogo and I will work together. I'll take the SFIT campus and its surrounding area," Honey Lemon nodded with determination, as she looked towards Gogo. The yellow-armored heroine continued, "And I'll patrol through the rest of Golden Gyoen Park. It's a lot of ground to cover and I got the speed to match. Plus, I roller-skate there quite often so I will be familiar how to get around." Hiro nodded, relieved that the plan was coming together well.

Abigail stepped forward, "That works out. I'll take Futatsu Peaks. It's a venue that will require a climb and my thrusters will make short work of the altitude up there towards those towers. So… Looks like I'll have the best view out of all of us for tonight. How lucky am I?" She winked, walking towards the desk to retrieve her mico-EMP module and the time-released freezing agent device. The rest of the team was suiting up, taking her example and equipping themselves with their latest inventions. Hiro smiled, "Great! Then Baymax and I will take Ueno Vista Park." Perhaps he didn't have to mention it, the others seemed to already know that he would choose that location. It was the park that was across the street from the Lucky Cat Café, and Hiro wanted to be there to personally ensure that Aunt Cass would be safe. They all nodded, ready for their risky operation to protect Aunt Cass and the many lives within the city. As they all suited up, Hiro looked towards his team. He was grateful that he had them to support him and keep him grounded, he wanted to protect Aunt Cass and the city at all costs. But he knew that he could not do it without their help. He spoke clearly and confidently to them, "Thank you, guys. Be careful, out there. Everyone is counting on us. Now, it's really time for us to be super."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hmm… this mini-story is panning out to be a bit longer than expected as I write it out. Adding the rest would make this a very long and exhaustive chapter, I think. So, looks like it's going to be continued in the next chapter! Stay tuned and thanks again for the read!**

**Bonus Side Note: It's really fun naming the places of San Fransokyo that have yet to be named in the series or source materials. I happen to have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area all my life and have even spent some time in Japan, including Tokyo. So, mashing up their location names is oddly fun for me. As a reference, the Lucky Cat Café was based off of a Victorian house on Haight St. and Masonic St. in San Francisco. So, the locations I have named and referred to are geographically correct in terms of them being in the vicinity of the setting, so to speak.**

**I am of course assuming SFIT is in place of Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park, which I have mashed up with Shinjuku Gyoen National Park (as Golden Gyoen Park). Next to the inspiration of Lucky Cat Café is Buena Vista Park, which I have mashed with Ueno Park (as Ueno Vista Park). To the north is the Panhandle, I mashed that with Koganei Park, which is an urban Tokyo park (as the Koganei Panhandle). University of San Francisco (USF)'s Lone Mountain Campus became University of San Fransokyo Mount Tsukuba campus. And Twin Peaks became Futatsu Peaks, which is just a native Japanese word for two. Perhaps a nerdy detail, but oddly satisfying for me.**


	21. Deadline to Disintegration (Part Three)

**Author's Note: Yeah, sorry. Was supposed to be a two-part "mid-season finale." Well… Turned it into a four part mini-arc. A lot going on, couldn't make it as short. But enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 21: Deadline to Disintegration (Part Three)**

Baymax launched his rocket fist at the invisible buddy guard, quickly demolishing it and revealing the scrapped, white unmanned drone. Atop the red-armored hulking machine, Hiro tapped on his helmet and anxiously awaiting as his helmet rang with a dial tone. "C'mon, Aunt Cass… please pick up…" Suddenly, the phone line opened up and Hiro was quickly startled, "Hiro! Are you okay?! There's been a lot of attacks throughout the city by some drones, please tell me you are ok!" Hiro smiled and was relieved to hear his aunt's voice, "Yes, don't worry, Aunt Cass. I'm with the others, at… school! We're all safe, Professor Granville is keeping us at a secured shelter within the campus. I'll be safe. Please, just stay inside with Mochi. Whatever you do, don't go out into the city! I hear it's getting pretty ugly out there!"

"Are you sure you're at school?! It's really loud there?!" Aunt Cass asked, both worried and suspicious as she could hear Hiro and Baymax actively fight the drones, ironically right outside of the Lucky Cat Café. Hiro got caught off guard, "Oh, what?! Uh, yeah! That's just the monitor here, they're playing… some live video recordings of what's going on out there… Oh, they're moving us further into the shelter! Ok, got to go, Aunt Cass! Don't worry I will be safe. Please, stay inside! I love you, bye!" Abruptly hanging up the phone call, Hiro looked towards the Lucky Cat Café as he noticed that the lights were turning off. Realizing that Aunt Cass was hunkering down, he sighed with relief.

Throughout the city of San Fransokyo, the Big Hero 6 team and Abigail found themselves decisively engaged with the numerous buddy guards and tri-rotor drones at Momokase's disposal. Each of the members had gotten to their respective locations for the plan but fighting off the unmanned drones was proving to be difficult while they got in position to coordinate their plan. "I don't know about you guys, but I am getting really tired of getting shot at by things I can't see," Gogo rang out on the comms as she skated quickly through Golden Gyoen Park, moving quickly to her target destination. Abigail responded on the net, "Yeah, I'm experiencing a lot of resistance at Futatsu Peaks. But I'm in position, standing by to coordinate our EMP blasts and start this late-night party."

Hiro and Baymax quickly passed by the Lucky Cat Café, attempting to draw the drones away from their home and keep Aunt Cass safe. "Team! Check in with your status," Hiro requested as he and Baymax arrived at their optimal location within Ueno Vista Park. Wasabi checked in, audibly grunting as he was actively fighting and evading the drones at the Koganei Panhandle, "I am… Uh… just about… at my target location! Standing by!" Fred checked in, "Freddy is ready to turn off the lights!" Lastly, Honey Lemon arrived on the net, "I think I'm going to make a lot of students unhappy… but I'm ready to activate my EMP device on campus, Hiro!"

"Ok! Baymax, ODIN… standby to scan for Momokase's position as soon as her scan jammer goes down! The disintegration device won't be far from her. Things are about to get really dark! Activate your micro-EMP devices in 3…2…1… go!" Hiro counted down as he and the rest of the team throughout their locations simultaneously initiated their devices. In an instant, the brilliant lights of the surrounding districts simultaneously blacked out. There were the sounds of panicked cries and several vehicles lightly crashing, the device let out an EMP blast that slowly deactivated systems with enough time for most drivers to react and move their vehicles in a safer direction. But it had undeniably caused a panic, in addition to the once active drones that were now falling from the sky. Many of them suddenly appearing as their flexible display technology was now disabled.

Hiro was relieved to see that the Faraday shielding upgrades that Gogo and he had worked on were successful. Seeing that they were still airborne and functional, Hiro looked to his armored healthcare companion, "Baymax! Scan for Momokase's biosignature and remaining graphene heat signatures!" Immediately, Baymax looked around as his visor flashed with blue grid lines, "/Certainly. Scanning for Momokase and graphene signatures/" In the meantime, Hiro went onto the communications net, "Everyone's systems running ok?" To his relief, Hiro heard the cacophony of responses from his team who had all been unaffected by their EMP devices. As Baymax's enhanced scanner was linked to ODIN, Abigail quickly warned them all, "Just a heads up, but we're picking up a whole lot of movement from the rest of the drones in the city. Looks like she kept them back as a quick reaction force against us, expect this party to get crowded real soon."

As Abigail flew overhead at the highest point of Futatsu Peaks, she scanned around and took note that a majority of the enemy targets consisting of buddy guards and tri-rotor drones were heading towards herself and Hiro. She realized that they were going to bog down herself and Hiro since they were the most maneuverable, isolating them from getting to Momokase along with the other team. "Hiro, heads up. Most of those drones are going after us two," Abigail warned as Hiro looked around, he sighed with frustration and realized what Abigail did. "Baymax, look out!" Hiro alerted his heroic robot companion, as they immediately experienced a barrage of laser fire that forced Baymax to discontinue his enhanced scan and conduct evasive maneuvers.

Momokase's scanner was down now, but they were now facing the fleet of drones that she amassed and were not able to find a moment to scan without the possibility of being shot down. He could hear off in the distance, the rest of his team was all preoccupied with fighting off the buddy guards and drones that were arriving from every corner of the city. "Baymax, climb! Gain some altitude so we can scan from Momokase!" Hiro yelled as they accelerated to evade the lasers, Baymax immediately shifted himself to rapidly ascend out of the effective range of the drone fire. Once again, his visor flashed, "/ I have located Momokase, she is moving rapidly on foot at the SFIT campus./"

"Honey Lemon, Momokase is heading to you! Guys, converge on the SFIT campus! Momokase is there!" Hiro exclaimed, worried for his friend. Suddenly, he saw the buddy guards beneath him appear out of their flexible display camouflage and were now surrounding the Lucky Cat Café. "No! Aunt Cass!" Hiro's eyes shifted between the Lucky Cat Café and the SFIT campus in the distance. "Hiro, protect Aunt Cass. I'm heading to support Honey Lemon, now. Link up with us when you are able to," Gogo rang out in the internal comms, she was racing through Golden Gyoen Park towards their college campus. Hiro gritted his teeth, he looked around to see the rest of his team actively engaging the drones that were now threatening innocent bystanders.

He realized that this was Momokase's strategy to divide them and face them individually. But they couldn't ignore the citizens who were being threatened. And Hiro could not ignore that Aunt Cass was still in danger by the drone threat at this moment. He tapped on Baymax's back, who did not need any further instructions as he launched both rocket fists towards the surrounding drones at the Lucky Cat Café. Immediately, they nose-dived down to continue protecting their home.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Honey Lemon, Gogo…Please be careful…" Hiro told them, frustrated at the situation and hoped that they would be safe as they faced Momokase.

* * *

Back at the SFIT campus, Honey Lemon stood in the middle of the rooftop from the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. Her eyes focused as she watched the villain clad in her black-and-blue sneaking suit walking towards her in plain sight, Momokase smiled, "Well, looks like you'll be my first opponent. This should be fun." Honey Lemon's face adopted a rare expression of anger and seriousness, knowing that this woman had not only threatened the city but also Aunt Cass to get to Hiro. But she remembered their true objective was not Momokase, "The disintegration device. Where is it, Momokase?" The villain simply smiled, briefly a distorted light had shown on her neck as it seemed to course through her blood vessels and her eyes became cat-like, "Defeat me, and maybe I'll let you know where I hid it."

Honey Lemon's eyes narrowed, feeling along the specially-made pouches that Hiro had designed for her. Within them, Hiro and she had designed several devices that she could use in addition to her chem-purse. In particular, she felt a pouch that contained several transdermal patches she borrowed from Karmi's design, modifying them with a chemical truth serum. Honey Lemon looked at Momokase with determined eyes, "Either way, I'll make you tell me." Momokase quickly drew her graphene katana and threw a graphene knife towards Honey Lemon, simultaneously running towards her.

Honey Lemon quickly keyed into her chem-purse and fired several chem-balls towards Momokase. The first chem-ball hit the flying graphene knife, bursting into a pink powder that covered the blade. Momokase's aim was extremely accurate, Honey Lemon knew that she wouldn't be able to effectively dodge the knife but confidently swatted at the pink-colored blade with her hand. The graphene blade immediately disintegrated into a pink-fine powder, to Momokase's surprise as she didn't know that the heroine was capable of this.

"Chemical embrittlement. Got to love chemistry, right?" Honey Lemon smirked, shooting more chem-balls at Momokase that entrapped her within a blue gelatinous ball despite her cutting away at the chemical projectiles. Slicing her way out of the casing, Momokase realized that Honey Lemon was no longer on the roof. She quickly realized that the chemistry genius had utilized an acidic agent to corrode a hole into the lower level beneath them. Without hesitation, Momokase jumped through the opening that led into the building's hallway. As she was about to land, she saw Honey Lemon turn a corner to disappear, but looked down to see a small device on the floor. It was a modified version of the device Hiro designed for the freezing agent, but Hiro personalized it for Honey Lemon to use as a remote- or sensor- detonation chem-ball.

When she landed, the device alarmed and exploded to create a freezing reaction that made the floor slippery. Momokase slipped as she landed on the frozen floor, using her graphene katana to stake into the ground and regain her balance. She heard Honey Lemon across the hallway, "You might want to watch your step!" Momokase scoffed, unamused, "You always were the slippery one! Any other new tricks?" Momokase dashed forward, running along the walls to avoid the floor and any other devices on the on it. As she pushed off against the wall to turn the corner that she saw Honey Lemon maneuver to, the villain used her cat-like eyes to immediately see that Honey Lemon had placed more of the chemical devices along the hallway.

Momokase backed off and smiled, thinking to herself, _Such obvious traps… I don't have to go through a set path… _Using her graphene katana, she made a clean circular incision into the wall to circumvent the booby-trapped hallways. As she breached through into a dark lab room, she saw a purple chem-ball hurdling towards her. Slicing it immediately, it burst and encapsulated her. Annoyed, she sliced through it to see that a concrete pillar was now spearing towards her and pushed her back into the wall behind her.

Angrily, she pushed off the wall and instantly sliced the next volley of concrete pillars that were directed at her by Honey Lemon's chemical devices that she staged in the room. Although she was frustrated, Momokase had to admit that she was enjoying the thrill of facing an opponent who was tactically brilliant in thinking on the fly during a fight.

Taking a cue from her opponent, Momokase calmed herself down and used her katana to slice a hole beneath her. She realized that this was Honey Lemon's turf, their school building that the student had an intimate knowledge of. Certainly, the chemistry genius had already devised a means to fight her by using the building's design against Momokase. Honey Lemon had to engage her, she knew where the disintegration device was and would have to follow her. Momokase knew that she couldn't play into her game, so she sprinted and continued to cut surgically-precise openings until she arrived on the campus courtyard. She awaited her opponent, attempting to lure her out in the open where Momokase would be able to react more aggressively, "You are brilliant and resourceful on the fly, Miss Honey Lemon. Quite impressive, but I won't play into your game."

Hearing the distinct sound of a razor disc cutting through the wind, Momokase turned around to quickly slice through a yellow disc that hurdled directly towards her. She looked to see the yellow-and-black armored heroine, who skated quickly to a stop and popped her bubble gum. "Then, how about you play my game?" Gogo said, taking another disc from her back and replacing it on her left arm.

Momokase quickly tossed three graphene blade knives towards the speed queen, by which Gogo quickly dashed to dodge each of the blades and threw another one of her discs. "It would be my pleasure, you ladies have always been entertaining," Momokase exclaimed as she sliced through the incoming disc. She was surprised when Gogo maneuvered back to pick up Momokase's graphene knives, quickly launching them back towards Momokase with accuracy. Momokase quickly slashed to hit the knives away from her. Gogo smirked, "Thought I was only good at throwing discs?"

Momokase smiled in amusement, quickly dashing towards Gogo rapidly, but heard the distinct "plopping" noise of Honey Lemon's chem-purse when she realized the chem-balls created more frozen surfaces that forced her to leap into the air. More concrete pillars from Honey Lemon now speared in the air towards her, she angrily sliced away at them. Gogo quickly maneuvered to link up with her teammate, the speed devil smiling at Momokase, "How about a little rematch from our previous fight at Akuma Island?" Momokase smiled, aiming her blade towards the two ladies, "It will end the same way for you ladies, I assure you."

Pulling out her phone, Gogo pressed on her "Skymax" icon, "Not if my team can help it." She nodded towards Honey Lemon, who quickly keyed into her chem-purse to release a two chem-balls and nodded back at her. Gogo dashed at an angle to flank around one of the buildings, so Momokase decided to sprint towards Honey Lemon in the open. Tossing one of the chem-balls in front of the advancing villain, the ground suddenly rose up with a wall of concrete. The wall exploded into several fine pieces and Momokase sliced another chem-ball in between the slices of concrete, exploding into a fine pink dust. Her eyes widened, realizing what had happened. As the blade became encrusted by the fine pink powder, she saw Gogo racing towards her on all fours, gaining speed much in the same way she would "veloci-shot."

Gogo swiftly leapt towards her and kicked out both of her disc- pointed legs at Momokase. Instinctively attempting to hit Gogo with her graphene blade, it immediately burst into a pink powder and gave way to Gogo's advance. Momokase was kicked back by Gogo, pink mist flowing around them as Momokase was launched away. Momokase rolled as she recovered from being projected by Gogo's strike.

"My blade!" Momokase yelled angrily, raising her hand up. Her veins illuminated, the blue graphene claws progressively extending from her fingertips. She side-stepped towards a destroyed buddy guard, slicing it open and taking out another graphene katana from within it. She smiled again, "But don't worry, you two. There is no shortage of blades. But I am sure you can't say the same about your chemicals or your discs." Gogo smirked, "You sure about that?" She raised her arm up, immediately catching more of her distinct discs.

Momokase looked up to see a robot floating above them. Skymax had arrived to provide Gogo with a resupply of her maglev discs. Gogo immediately threw one of the discs towards Momokase, but as the disc soared towards her, the disc was hit by one of Honey Lemon's chem-balls and formed a denser disc. Although Momokase was able to cut through it, it impacted her hard enough to push her back slightly. She saw another chem-ball flung towards her, using her graphene claws to slice it but was caught within a frozen glacier. Honey Lemon took advantage of the situation and shot several more freezing chem-balls.

"Gogo! Cover me! We need to get her to talk! The disintegration device has to be nearby!" Honey Lemon exclaimed as she pulled out her modified truth-serum transdermal patch that could also paralyze Momokase. Before Honey Lemon could place the patch onto Momokase, Gogo saw that the villain's veins seemed to illuminate further, and time slowed down as she saw Honey Lemon approach the mutated beast. "Honey Lemon, look out!" Realizing she was in imminent danger, Gogo dashed to save Honey Lemon when Momokase suddenly emerged from the ice glacier in her feral form. She quickly swiped at them, cutting Gogo's maglev discs at her feet and projected her towards the building.

"Gogo!" Honey Lemon screamed as she was pushed away by Gogo, witnessing Gogo be sent hurdling into the wall and being knocked unconscious.

But she did not have time to check on her friend as the feral Momokase was now sprinting ferociously towards her. In a state of desperation under the circumstances, Honey Lemon quickly keyed into her chem-purse, which beeped rapidly. Before Momokase could swipe at Honey Lemon, the chem-purse's beeping became more consecutive until the device burst into a brilliant array of colors. Narrowly dodging Momokase's claws, the two became suspended in a rather large chemical encasement. A last-ditch effort by Honey Lemon to protect herself and capture Momokase.

Despite being encased, Momokase's mutation allowed her the strength to release herself as she leapt further away from the two heroines into the courtyard. Appearing to be in pain, she slowly began to revert back to her previous mutative forms with more human characteristics again. "Hmm… I actually had to fully mutate to beat you two. I admit, I am impressed. But against me, even you are out-classed," she laughed, looking at the defeated female members of the Big Hero 6 team.

Suddenly, her surroundings were engulfed in flames as she quickly leapt backwards outside the range of the scorching heat. "Hey! No one is classier than us! You're going to pay for this, Momokase!" Fred appeared from the sky as he leapt down in between Momokase and his teammates.

"And on to the next one," Momokase smiled maniacally towards the Kaiju-suit wearing hero. Fred momentarily paused, pointing towards her, "Wait, wait! Quick question! Very important question, really…" Momokase scoffed, "I won't let you know where the device is, unless you can somehow manage to defeat me."

Fred paused again, "Oh… Right… Well, second most important question then… How are you able to transform into a 'graphene-clawed beast-thingy?' I've been wanting to be a fire-breathing lizard for a long time, so be a dear and 'science' me a little on that, will you?" Momokase thought about Liv Amara and Sycorax's specialized services, she wasn't going to disclose her newest partners' identities, "Wouldn't you like to know?" Fred simply nodded, dumbfoundedly, "Um... Yeah… that's why I asked? Duh!"

Momokase's veins illuminated a bright yellow shine, her graphene-claws extended further out, "Well then, how about I provide you with an up-close demonstration instead?" Fred placed his hand to his face wondrously, "Well, I don't see how that would explain anything… But oh, you mean you want to fight! Well then, over-the-top battle it is! Prepare to be… 'No-mokase!' Like 'no more- kase…' Yeah, need to find a way to sell that one better, huh?"

Momokase simply shook her head, "You have a thing for 'stupid last words,' don't you?" She sprinted towards Freddy, who super-jumped and breathed fire towards her. She quickly side-stepped and dashed away from the flames. Every attempt she made to get to him, he continued to jump and keep his distance as he continued to blast flame towards her. She had to admit, he had a decent strategy of keeping her at bay and attacking her.

Seeing that the open space was to his advantage, she slowly led the skirmish towards the inside of the campus where the buildings became more enclosed. Even as Fred would jump atop the buildings, Momokase would quickly leap and scale them to get close to him. She continued to maneuver through the campus, moving their fight to an environment that allowed her to move around and progressively analyze his patterns. It was only a matter of time that he will slip up, and she would capitalize on his mistakes. Fred needed to hold her off until the rest of the team could arrive to deal with her and search for the disintegration device, time was counting down to their deadline.

* * *

At the base of the Futatsu Peaks residential area, San Fransokyo PD officers worked fervently to safeguard and evacuate civilians on foot. With their police cruisers being disabled by the EMP blast, they personally dashed around to direct civilians away from the chaos. Suddenly, a tri-rotor drone hovered above a mother who was covering her toddler. The police officer went between them, unholstering his service weapon and shot at the drone.

It quickly dodged the incoming rounds, charging its lasers as it readied to fire at them. The drone was quickly struck by several rounds in its rotor, spinning out of control and plummeting to the ground. The officer and the family watched as another officer clad in black SWAT armor rushed towards them, a service rifle at low ready, having evidently been the one to destroy the drone. The armored officer approached them, "Officer Sanders! Get this family and the others down at the base of this hill, I've directed our SWAT to provide an evacuation route for these residents."

The officer looked with wide eyes, recognizing the armored officer, "Chief Cruz! Didn't think I'd see you personally out here, sir?!" They took cover behind one of the vehicles, pulling the mother and child down to cover. The gruff police chief looked towards his subordinate and scoffed, "I come back to this fine city to see that it's overrun by killer drones and just-as-equally-dangerous vigilantes. It's all hands-on-deck, son. I've got nowhere better to be."

As they looked up to assess the situation, a buddy guard floated above them. Chief Cruz quickly shouldered his rifle but held his fire, seeing a white-armored figure swiftly flying into the drone. Using her nano-dex system and her exoskeletal armor to enhance her strength, Abigail easily pierced her arm through the drone and violently flung it towards the ground. Using her shoulder-mounted laser systems, she shot down several other drones consecutively. Casually dusting her hands and hovering above them, she looked towards the police officers.

Through her Kabuki mask visor, she immediately made sharp eye contact with the police chief who gave her an obvious death stare. She noted that the tan-skinned man was still shouldering his rifle at the ready as he glared at her, quickly thinking to herself, _Don't even try it, old man. _She simply shrugged, engaging her thrusters to dash away and continue protecting as many of the residents she could in her vicinity.

Chief Cruz scoffed as he watched Abigail continue to fight in the chaos above them towards the Futatsu Peaks towers. "Hmph… 'Superheroes'… Flying killer drones are one thing. But these so-called 'superheroes' used EMP weapons that effectively crippled our police force and caused more public panic… Remind me again who are the heroes here?" Chief Cruz spat at the floor in disgust.

He quickly turned around to the worried mother, "Ma'am, follow me and Officer Sanders. We'll protect you and your daughter and get you both to a safe area." Looking at the scared little girl and kneeling down to smile at her, the police chief was grateful that he was already able to get his fourteen-year-old daughter, Megan, into a safe area. He had never thought that bringing her back to San Fransokyo would be so dangerous. He needed to get the city back into a safe state, starting with this crisis.

As he ran alongside his subordinate and the civilians, he continued to take shots at incoming drones and destroying them with skilled, accurate fire. He may now be a desk-jockey as the city's newest police chief, but he had spent several years in the military before being in the police force and having even served on several departmental SWAT teams. He staunchly believed that well-trained police officers, such as himself, should be the only ones upholding the law. He looked towards the Kabuki-masked vigilante overhead and the rest of the blacked-out portions of the city where the Big Hero 6 team was fighting… he was adamant that these "superheroes" were part of the city's problem and not the solution to its crimes. _Their time will come, soon enough_, the police chief thought to himself.

* * *

Baymax scanned the Lucky Cat Café, viewing through the structure to see Aunt Cass hugging Mochi. "How's Aunt Cass and Mochi doing, Baymax?!" Hiro asked anxiously, he was utilizing his magnetic gauntlets to seize control of several drones and swiftly project them towards the floor to destroy them. Baymax continuously cycled through the drones, shooting his rocket fists and repeatedly retrieving them as he reacquired his next targets.

Baymax informed Hiro, "/Aunt Cass and Mochi do not have any signs of bodily harm, but are in emotional distress./" Hiro was at least relieved that they were unharmed, but there were far too many drones in the area that were obviously targeting his home thanks to Momokase's orders.

Hiro was frustrated at playing into her hands, but he could not leave Aunt Cass while she was actively in danger. He had to keep faith that his team was able to handle Momokase for now. But there was an untold number of drones congregating towards them, obviously programmed to keep him and his members busy as Momokase faced his team members separately. And facing her as a whole team, she was already a handful.

He launched one of his magnetic discs, activating it to attract several drones onto it to form a large clump of machinery. "Baymax!" Hiro pointed towards them, with the armored machine launching its rocket fist to destroy several drones in one go. "There's too many of them. We don't have all night to do this!" Hiro exclaimed, getting exhausted at their prolonged engagement and constantly worrying for his aunt's safety.

Suddenly, he saw a purple, slimy tendril extend to grab several drones and slammed them into each other. "Felony Carl told me you could use some help over here, kid! Hope you don't mind me swinging by your place unannounced?" Globby swung through with his arms extending across the top of the neighborhood's rooftops.

Hiro smiled happily, "Globby! Oh, am I glad to see you! Not at all, we could use your help. Momokase is behind all of this!" Turning into a slimy, massive Tyrannosaurus Rex, Globby quickly bit down on a drone and destroyed it instantly. Talking in that form, he scowled, "That crazy lady is behind all of this? I am not surprised…" He frowned as he thought about his former supervillain colleague.

"Yeah, Honey Lemon and Gogo are fighting her at SFIT right now. She plans to activate a disintegration device somewhere there. But I haven't been able to go support them…" Hiro frowned, caught in a dire situation but worrying for both Aunt Cass and his friends. Globby quickly transformed himself into a wide wall, capturing and protecting the Lucky Cat Café.

His face, while elongated, looked seriously at the boy, "A disintegration what-now?! Well, you guys are all part of my list... So, I can't let her do that. They're going to need you there to take care of that device, kid. Don't worry about your home and your aunt, I'll protect her personally. I promise. You go help the tall girl and the speedster, leave all of this to me."

Hiro smiled at the slimy humanoid, "Thank you, Globby… Please be careful, too. You're a real hero, you know that?" Globby quickly wiped some slime from his green eyes, "Go on now, kid. You're going to make me cry!" Hiro laughed, he pulled out his phone to press on his Skymax icon. Shortly after, he tapped on Baymax's shoulder, "Let's go, big guy. Take us to school!" Baymax accelerated his thrusters as they ascended into the sky, "/Certainly./"

* * *

Fred sent a stream of fire, spreading it quickly as Momokase got close to swiping at him. A portion of her hair was singed, making the woman growl. "Oh, looks like I singed a bit of your mane… At least you aren't bald! I don't think that look would suit you, personally…" Freddy remarked, as he jumped away atop one of the campus buildings.

Patting her head to feel her hair sizzle, Momokase growled as she increased the level of her mutation, "I'll make you bald!" Moving at a faster pace, she began to move in a manner that Fred could no longer keep up with as she climbed the building. Before he could fully super-jump away, Momokase quickly swiped at his feet and one of his hands, slicing off the bottom of his soles and one of his hands.

Yelling as he fell off the building, Fred landed on a bush and sharply exhaled on impact as he lost his breath momentarily. "She got me, she got me! My hand!" He screamed, looking at his hand through his mask. Then he released his arms from within the suit, placing it in front of his face to wiggle his fingers. "Oh, that's right. It's just a suit! False alarm, guys. Hand is still here," he chuckled nervously, then fainted shortly thereafter.

Looking down at the armored hero, Momokase felt her singed hair with annoyance. "You were more trouble than I expected," she scoffed, leaping down from the rooftop to finish him off. As soon as she descended enough to swipe at him, she was swiftly met with resistance as her graphene claws were stopped by both a graphene katana and a plasma blade.

She looked up to see Wasabi grasping one of her graphene katanas, pushing her off and then swiping at her with his other arm that had his signature plasma blade. She laughed, "Well, took you long enough. Did you take your time driving here?" Wasabi readied himself, pulling himself into a solid swordsman's stance, "I'll have you know that I drove over 5 miles per hour than the posted speed limit to get to you." Momokase laughed as she shook her head, "I guess I should feel honored, then? Your swordsmanship skills have improved, I hope you don't disappoint me." She picked up a graphene katana from one of the destroyed buddy guards on the floor, pointing it towards him.

"Lady, you are going down! En garde!" Wasabi exclaimed, he raised the graphene blade towards her and remained light on his feet. Momokase quickly dashed forward, quickly meeting blade to blade as brilliant blue flashes of light sparked from their clashing. With each strike, they both swiped at each other with their second weapons, Wasabi's plasma blade and Momokase's graphene- claws respectively. Using fencing style footwork, Wasabi was able to quickly engage and disengage Momokase. He utilized various feints and quick swipes, much to Momokase's pleasant surprise as she reacted to his movements.

"More fencing video lessons?" Momokase picked at him, continuing to move quickly around him to test his footwork. She quickly dashed forward to aggressively stab at him, but he parried the blade and quickly sliced at her head. But she ducked quickly enough to have only her hair sliced neatly.

"Nope, real fencing lessons this time. At a school. Coupon deals, for the win!" Wasabi laughed. Angry that not only her hair was burnt but now sliced off, she angrily swiped back and sliced a clean chunk off of Wasabi's dreads. He screamed, "Not again! What is up with you and slicing my hair, woman? You know how long it took for me to grow it back, last time?"

Momokase leapt further back, feeling her own hair and growling, "Let's just say we're even!" She quickly sprinted towards him, rapidly shifting her weight to move around him and attack him at different angles. She continued with a flurry of attacks, adding the pressure against the swordsman so that he could no longer control the pace of the fight with his fencing-type technique.

"Your skills and reflexes have improved…" she conceded, as she continued to barrage him with her blades. "But you can't do this," she smiled as she increased her mutation once more to improve her speed and reflexes. As she became increasingly more feral, she became more aggressive and eventually gained the upper hand. Swiftly slicing away at his forearms to disable his plasma blades and striking his graphene blade with ferocity, she effectively disarmed him.

"Well, it's been fun but my skills with the blade still remain superior…" she said as she moved towards Wasabi. Her eyes dilated momentarily, realizing there was another threat nearby. She looked to her side and saw incoming lasers rapidly streaming towards her, she narrowly dodged them.

She immediately reacted as a white blur quickly met her graphene blades, clashing with another graphene katana with blue sparks bursting between them. Abigail continued her burst of her thrusters to push into Momokase, she snidely commented, "Mind if I cut in?" Using her nano-dex enhanced suit, she quickly propelled Momokase away from Wasabi. Soon after, she helped him up, "Wasabi, go back and protect the team. I have Momokase." He simply nodded, running back towards his injured teammates, "You got it, thanks. Be careful!"

Momokase was pleasantly surprised, looking at the white-armored heroine, "Hmm? The Kabuki mask? You're certainly not _him_. You're an uninvited guest, but no matter. I can tell you will present a good enough challenge for me." Abigail smirked, taking a traditional Japanese sword fighting stance with two hands gripping at the handle. She responded, "More than enough of a challenge, I promise." Running quickly along the wall and projecting herself towards Abigail, Momokase launched a flurry of graphene knives towards her.

Abigail casually hovered right above the ground and veered slowly, using her shoulder-mounted laser systems to shoot each of the incoming knives away from her. It wasn't much different from her using the APOLLO's laser systems to rapidly target incoming missiles. Traveling at a rapid pace, Momokase quickly closed the distance and slashed at Abigail. As soon as she was in close proximity, Abigail quickly burst her thrusters to dash around Momokase and strike concisely with her graphene katana. With her graphene claw, Momokase quickly responded and retaliated. The two moved as a blur, keeping pace with each other's blows. As soon as they had a slightly prolonged contact with their blades, Abigail launched her away.

"You could just as easily keep your distance in the sky and keep firing away at me. Seems you have some honor to you, Miss Kabuki," Momokase smiled, noting that her opponent did not resort to an indirect approach like Fred. She admitted that Wasabi had improved his swordsmanship, but she noted that her new opponent was undoubtedly more practiced and honed.

"What's more… even without that suit of yours, I suspect your reflexes are as good as mine. On a normal given day, that is," she continued as she walked carefully in a circle around Abigail. She continued to burst forward with incredible speed, exchanging a flurry of fast swipes between them. Leaping backwards, Momokase observed the heroine's stance and her movements, "Hmm… Suisha-Ryu Kenjutsu? You're not like the others. No online lessons, no amateur skills to develop on… Your movements are much too refined. No, you've been doing this for a while…"

Indeed, Abigail had been practiced in the arts of Japanese traditional swordsmanship, thanks to the tutelage of her mother and her mother's teachers. Having been an avid martial artist and traveler, her mother was well-practiced and passed down her knowledge and skills to Abigail. She would participate in several competitions, but Abigail had never thought that the skills she practiced mostly for spiritual enrichment would actually become practical. But Abigail was taking this fight seriously, she did not answer Momokase but simply remained focused on the fight. She was even less apt to be her usual snarky self that she usually was, even during the heat of battle. But defeating her opponent and getting the location of the disintegration device was her main priority. And this woman was cunning, Abigail wasn't going to let her get into her head like she did with Hiro.

"I must admit… As I am now, I won't be able to best you, 'Miss Kabuki.' Know that I hold you in the highest regard and this shall be my gift to you… I will give you my utmost attention and fight you with complete sincerity to defeat you," Momokase smoothly sheathed her blade behind her. Slowly, she bowed towards Abigail, who returned the gesture in kind. "Likewise," Abby simply responded as she readied herself.


	22. Deadline to Disintegration (Final Part)

**Author's Note: Well, here is the final part to my now four-part mid-season finale. It was a blast writing this whole mini-arc within my series. I hope you enjoy it! I may or may not slow down on writing after this, but I will continue the series so stay tuned!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 22: Deadline to Disintegration (Part Four/Final Part)**

Within the SFIT campus, Momokase continued to circle around Abigail. "I must admit… As I am now, I won't be able to best you, 'Miss Kabuki.' Know that I hold you in the highest regard and this shall be my gift to you… I will give you my utmost attention and fight you with complete sincerity to defeat you," Momokase smoothly sheathed her blade behind her. Slowly, she bowed towards Abigail, who returned the gesture in kind. "Likewise," Abby simply responded as she readied herself. With that, Momokase promptly began to transform as her skin turned grey and her black-and-blue hair began to grow rapidly. Her teeth became sharp as she snarled, her fingertips splayed as her graphene-claws extended the longest they have ever been.

Abigail's eyebrow furled, not afraid but certainly curious at what she was seeing, "ODIN, analysis. What exactly am I looking at? How is she doing this?" As her systems scanned Momokase, ODIN simply responded, "/My apologies, my lady. No available information regarding your opponent's abilities. Those are indeed graphene blades extending from her body. Please proceed with caution. /" Abigail simply sighed as she prepared herself, hovering and readying herself to maneuver at a moment's notice, "Yeah, no kidding." She understood now why this opponent was able to take down the members of Big Hero 6 separately. She had to be cautious around her.

No longer with conscious control, Momokase simply hissed and growled. She stood on all fours, leaning back and preparing to pounce. In an instant, she launched forward at a speed that even Abigail had to react instinctively. Pouncing forward, Momokase swiped with both of her claws as Abigail parried with her blade. Even with the nano-dex to enhance her speed and movement, she noticed that she was having a difficult time handling Momokase's sheer speed and explosiveness. Abigail gritted her teeth, quickly launching herself back and attempting to gain altitude. _This isn't good, she's fast, even for me,_ she thought as she attempted to gain some breathing room.

Momentarily in the air, Momokase dashed among the buildings to remain airborne with Abigail. Using the laser systems on her shoulders, Abigail continuously fired at her but Momokase dodged and sliced at the lasers with her graphene claws. "ODIN! Take positive control of my laser systems, deploy auxiliary drones!" Abigail commanded, focusing on repelling Momokase's rapid attacks. The laser systems on her shoulder began to detach, each becoming an individual drone that separated from her exosuit. "/I have positive control of the auxiliary drones, Miss Abigail. Engaging the target./" ODIN responded, he was now operating the three small drones that were now maneuvering to shoot at Momokase.

As they continuously fired at the feral Momokase, Abigail quickly accelerated towards the floor to rip open a buddy guard and take out another graphene katana. With the second blade in her other hand, she reversed the grip so that her blades now were oriented in the same direction. Using both blades, she spun with momentum and used her thrusters to increase her velocity, as she impacted into Momokase's claws. It launched the feral beast away, but the creature quickly landed along a wall to launch itself back rapidly towards Abigail. With little stability in the air, Abigail blocked the attack but was sharply launched to the ground.

The feral Momokase quickly took the opportunity to dash between the buildings and swipe at the surrounding structures. The finely sliced portions of the building began to fall towards Abigail, who quickly got up to dodge the debris. With incredible speed, Momokase dashed between the falling debris and used it to pinball around as she continuously engaged Abigail. ODIN attempted to target Momokase, but the debris blocked his field of fire and Momokase circled around the debris to swipe at the drones.

More of the building around them began to burst into precisely cut slices and fall towards them, Abigail's vision slowed as she saw the obstacles obstructing her path. Without the assistance of ODIN, she instinctively projected and maneuvered herself around the falling debris to accelerate towards the creature as it destroyed her auxiliary drones. With some of the debris getting in her way, she sliced through them with the graphene blades she procured. Fully engaging her thrusters, she accelerated towards Momokase and the two clashed in a blur of rapid movement.

Suddenly, Abigail lost control in the air as she realized that Momokase had sliced off her two rear thrusters. Unable to quickly regain adequate control, she used her thrusters on her feet to briefly burst and soften her crash landing. She tucked and rolled, a figure on her HUD that represented her suit flashed red, as ODIN alerted her, "/Warning, multiple systems experiencing failure from damage incurred. Nano-dex systems are shutting down and flight systems are failing./" Abigail heard rapid alarms beeping as she saw the purple circuitry of the bodysuit were blacking out, her bodysuit notably losing its compressive tone.

A small laceration appeared along the face of the feral creature, it hissed in pain but was only facing a minor injury. The blue face mask that Momokase once wore had now been sliced and floated away in the air. Seeing that she had only damaged Momokase slightly in their quick exchange, Abigail sighed heavily as she caught her breath. Sorry,_ guys. Doesn't look good for me, _Abigail thought to herself. But she still readied the two graphene katanas, preparing to fight to the end against the advancing clawed beast. All of her suit's systems were failing and Momokase's mutation was overwhelming, she knew that she stood little chance now but she was not going to give up. "Come on! I'm not backing down, now!" Abigail yelled as she willed herself up and started sprinting towards the pouncing feral creature. As the inhuman Momokase neared, Abigail swung her blades towards the beast…

Unexpectedly, Abigail felt herself be sharply pulled back by an invisible force that launched her far away from Momokase. This caught her off guard, she wondered what was propelling her when she no longer had active thrusters that were functioning. As she quickly stopped, she realized that she was stuck on a metallic disc. Looking at it, she realized that Hiro and Baymax had arrived to the fight. The young boy had deployed some of his magnetic discs to pull his teammate away from Momokase's reach, the strong magnetic device pulling at her titanium exoskeleton suit. Shutting down his portable magnetic disc, Hiro and Baymax dove down rapidly to pick up Abigail. He flew her off so he could drop her off with the unconscious Gogo and Freddy, as well as the encased Honey Lemon that Wasabi was attempting to free at the moment. "Abby! You and ODIN go search for that device here on campus. That's our main priority. Momokase is mine!" Hiro yelled to Abby as Baymax hovered above the fallen Big Hero 6 team. Abigail sighed heavily, disappointed she could not continue fighting Momokase. But she agreed, looking towards the young boy atop the armored robot, "Ok, Hiro. We'll work on that. But you… please be careful, kid."

Time was running out and they knew it. Hiro simply nodded, as he and Baymax quickly flew back towards Momokase who was seemingly waiting for the young boy. As they flew towards her, Hiro yelled to his companion, "Baymax! Overdrive mode!" Quickly flipping backwards to detach himself from the robot, Baymax quickly ramped up his systems and landed on the ground as his armor shifted. Sections within his armor shined a brilliant red glow with electrical currents, his wings combined and ejected to form a large sword. With a louder, menacing voice he announced, "/Overdrive mode active/" The feral Momokase dashed towards the upgraded Baymax, the two quickly clashed but Baymax was able to continually launch her far away with each contact.

Hiro looked on as he watched his companion fight off Momokase, he bit his lip as he knew that the Overdrive Mode would not last much longer. "Hang in there, big guy!" Hiro yelled towards Baymax, who was constantly hurdling Momokase while she seemed to whittle away at his wing-blade with each encounter. The young boy's fists gripped tightly in anticipation. Baymax was incredibly powerful in this mode but his operational time was extremely limited. His gaze quickly rose to the sky, seeing four Skymaxes overhead as they opened up to release what looked like black mist from afar. In one swift swing, Overdrive mode Baymax launched Momokase violently into a building and the feral creature seemed to pause in place to recover. To Hiro's surprise, the creature seemed to revert back to a more human form, although its graphene claws remained.

Baymax's stance began to become unbalanced as he used his mangled wing-blade to prop himself up, "/L-lo-low b-battery…/" Baymax's armor began shift and recede back, as he stumbled around haphazardly, "/Play time is over, little kitty…/" He tripped and fell, the robot's eyes narrowing lazily. Still relatively mutated, Momokase recovered herself and sprinted towards the fallen robot. "/So fast! Look at you go!/" Baymax said as he looked towards the semi-feral Momokase sprint towards him. But suddenly a conglomeration of small black machines formed a wave that gripped Momokase's legs. The swarm of micro-bots latched onto her, creating a sleek tendril that swiftly waved and flung her away. Additional black swarms formed spears that projected at the creature, preventing her from launching herself back immediately to retaliate. Swiping away at the spears of micro-bots, Momokase quickly retreated at a safe distance. Her body feeling immense pain, she began to regress back to her human self. Her breathing was labored, and she stumbled to the ground, propping herself up with her arms.

She looked up to see the conglomeration of small robots form a wave that receded back towards Baymax. As she focused her eyes, her eyes became widened with disbelief to see a small figure in a purple armored suit carrying the large Baymax with ease. Without even struggling, Hiro lifted Baymax up, "Good job, big guy. Time for you to nap with the others. I'll take it from here. I'm satisfied with my care." Beneath his armor components, purple nano-compression circuitry glowed as it massively augmented the small boy's strength. He lifted his armored healthcare companion and manipulated his microbots to carry the robot off, sending him back towards his teammates in the distance. Abigail came on the communications net, "Well, someone has been making a new toy for themselves."

Hiro smirked, "I told you, the 'Lady Kabuki' was just the start to the next-generation of super-suits. Too bad Fred's asleep to hear this, but I like to call this my prototype 'Phase 3' armor. Complete with my own Nano-Dex 2.0 bodysuit and enhanced neurotransmitter systems." Abigail whistled with amazement, "Well, looks like the original micro-bot user gets to show us how it's done, too." Hiro chuckled lightly, he had been working on this armor directly after completing Abigail's exosuit. When Globby freed him up, Hiro met up with Skymax who provided him with his new armor. It remained in progress and untested, lacking the Faraday upgrades to withstand the EMP blast. But he needed to use it and he would have to test it against Momokase here and now.

He frowned lightly, looking around him as the countless amounts of micro-bots surged around him. Unlike the sinister apparitions and distorted movements these machines adopted under Professor Callaghan's usage, they moved in a more fluid and almost elegant manner under Hiro's mindful control. He had never intended for this creation to be used for combat but instead for utilitarian purposes. However, under these circumstances, he admitted that he needed them to fight Momokase and he was the last standing member to defeat her. It was simply a tool, manifesting the will of its user. Hiro was resolved to use them to stop Momokase's plot.

In the distance, Momokase caught her breath as she was physically exhausted. She looked towards the young boy who stood in the distance. She smiled warily, "And the last one standing... is you. How appropriate…" She strained as she attempted to mutate herself back into her feral form, but she could only muster a semi-feral form with her graphene blades extending from her fingertips. "Looks like you can't stay in that form for all that long, either. I don't know how you're doing it, but even you have your limits. Give it up, Momokase." Frustrated with her body being unable to mutate back fully, she feigned a smile and looked towards the boy. "Hmph... Well… you must have gone through quite a lot of drones to be here, boy. How is your aunt doing, by the way?" Momokase goaded the boy, an arrogant smirk on her face. Hiro's eyes narrowed, trying to remain calm and focused, "This ends here, Momokase. You're not getting away with this." She laughed, it was an exchange they constantly shared, "Nonsense. I'd say I already have."

She quickly pressed a button on her forearm, it alarmed briefly. With a smirk, the villain snapped her finger, "You are right. This is the end… for you. You are the last member of Big Hero 6 for me to defeat. So, I've upped the ante a little to motivate you more. You now have less than an hour to deactivate the disintegration device. Oh, and the drones throughout the city will be hyper-aggressive against anyone in the city. If you any hope to save everyone, you'll have to face me with everything you've got, boy." Sprinting forward, Momokase tossed a flurry of numerous graphene knives towards the young boy. Immediately, Hiro raised his hands and used his magnetic gauntlets to manipulate the incoming knives. With his enhanced neurotransmitter, he had an improved capacity to finely control the output of his magnetism. He quickly used one of the gauntlets to attract one of the blades and catch it in his hand. Using his other magnetic gauntlet, he forced them back towards Momokase, to her surprise as she swiped them away.

Continuing to utilize his suit's enhanced magnetic functions, he augmented his micro-bot's numerous spears to be propelled towards Momokase with increased speed and force through magnetic repulsion. Although Momokase was able to swipe at these tiny robots, she was forced to dodge around and be flung back by the incoming barrage of microbots. "Hmph, well I always wanted to learn how to surf," Hiro remarked as he looked at the ground and the micro-bots began to flow like the ocean. Riding a wave of micro-bots, Hiro quickly launched himself forward and maneuvered quickly around Momokase while continuing to send spears of micro-bots to her. Realizing she needed to change the momentum of the fight, Momokase leapt high and swiped at her surrounds to create falling debris.

Quickly scanning around him, Hiro used his micro-bots to create a protective wall to repel the incoming debris. He searched around him, noting the graphene blades and buddy guards strewn around him. Momokase dashed between the surrounding buildings, she winced as she forced herself to mutate further to gain more explosive speed. Propelling herself towards the protective wall of micro-bots, she quickly burst through it as she spiraled herself to launch a deadly barrage of slashes in all directions. As she breached the wall to swipe at Hiro, she was surprised as she saw six graphene katanas quickly block and clash with her claws. Being held in place as she tried to force her way past the blades, she realized that the micro-bots were forming individual tendrils that pushed the swords against her. She looked past the floating swords to see the young hero crossing his arms and smirking at her, "And you thought it was a good idea to have so many graphene blades out here?"

Momokase quickly dashed back and scoffed, "Hmph… Aren't you cocky? You're not as good as you think you are, boy." A burning sensation consumed her body as she forced herself to mutate, slowly becoming more feral. "You're right, Momokase. Not on my own, but with my team I certainly am. You're just not very graceful at losing and you thought you could take us on by yourself. That's why you'll always lose, even if you take us on one at a time. It is you, who are not as good as you always make yourself out to be," Hiro smiled, looking at the six graphene blades his micro-bots had floating around him. Each blade representing his teammates who had successfully worn Momokase down. Momokase growled, thinking about Obake and their team, "Well, you put an end to my 'club!' But now… I am more than enough to make up for them! And I won't make the same mistake Obake made, I'll take you out of the picture, kid!"

Mutating herself further, she yelled as she sprinted forward. Hiro manipulated his micro-bots to rapidly slash at her with the six graphene blades, witnessing the enraged woman rapidly fight through the them. She quickly repelled each strike from the micro-bot-led attack. But in her blind rage, Momokase was unaware of the micro-bots that swarmed beneath her feet. By the time she realized it, Hiro increased their movement with his magnetic gauntlets to quickly restrain her arms. As he manipulated the microbots to tidal wave around her, he launched several magnetic discs to form a perimeter around Momokase. Upon activating the portable magnetic devices, it seemingly cemented the micro-bots around Momokase as it constricted her. The young boy snidely remarked, "Looks like you're a bit tied up. You've been looking pretty agitated, that should calm you down a bit, don't you think?" The villain was forced to retract her graphene claws, lest she cut into herself.

Hiro found it ironic that he took Professor Callaghan's strategy that he used against Wasabi, keeping Momokase busy with his attacks as he surreptitiously surrounded her feet with swarming micro-bots. But he also returned the favor for her goading him by threatening Aunt Cass. He knew that Momokase had a vendetta due to her losing to the boy, he attacked her pride to make her blindly enraged and lose control. He casually stepped towards her, "It's over, Momokase. Where is the device?" Confined, Momokase attempted to mutate completely as she squirmed and yelled, "I won't tell you where that device is. I'm taking you with me, boy!" Hiro walked up to his opponent, "As I said, you just aren't very graceful at losing. And don't worry, you will tell me." With a determined and serious face, Hiro opened a pouch and pulled out a transdermal patch.

With his micro-bots, he had them move the patch and attach it to Momokase. She groaned and struggled, fighting off the effects of Honey Lemon's chemically- sedative truth serum. She shook her head and continued to growl at the boy. He stepped forward towards her, "The disintegration device. Where is it?" She continued to shake her head, her cat-like eyes transitioning back to normal and her face becoming drowsy. As she was trying to fight off the effects, Hiro continued, "Where is it, Momokase?" She growled in frustration, "It was under your nose the whole time, boy. I left it… hidden in your very own lab under a flexible display cloak. Beneath the table where your precious brother's hat lies…" His face quickly contorted in anger, but he caught himself and looked towards the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab in the distance.

"Abby! It's in my lab, underneath Tadashi's hat! You need to get to it, now! Momokase sped up the timer!" Hiro yelled over the internal communications net. "Copy, I'm on it! ODIN took some damage, he won't be able to hack into the system to deactivate it. Once I find it, I'll bring it out there." Hiro looked towards the robotics lab, hearing Abigail on the net, "I got it! Heading to you now, kid!" He quickly saw Abigail emerged from one of the windows, her thrusters intermittently bursting as she struggled to fly towards him with the device in hand. She landed and sprinted towards them, slightly out of breath she yelled, "Work your magic, boy genius!" Hiro immediately plugged a cable from his suit into the disintegration device, his visor populating with various prompts and commands that he was now sifting through rapidly with neural inputs through his enhanced neurotransmitter. As he worked on the device, Momokase began to laugh maniacally. "Have you finally lost it completely?" Abigail said as she walked over towards the entrapped villain.

"No… truth serum or not, I meant it. I'm going to take you all with me!" she continued to laugh hysterically. The young hero gritted his teeth and growled in frustration, he sharply looked at the villain and quickly covered her mouth with micro-bots to silence her, "She overrode the cancellation safeguards. I could undo it… but it would take more time than we have left." Without hesitation, the young boy took out the freezing-agent device that he and Honey Lemon developed, attaching it to the disintegration device. Upon activation, the entire device became encapsulated within a layer of frost. "You… don't want to know how much time is left… That will only delay it, but we need a way to dispose of it before it activates," Hiro said as he swiftly looked around, trying to look for another angle for them to solve this crisis. "Can we just destroy it?" Abigail asked, but Hiro simply shook his head. "We'd risk it still initiating a self-sustaining reaction and activating suddenly… we need to get it out of the city somehow."

Without much thought, Abigail ran up to grab the disintegration device, "Then that's what it's going to take…" Hiro quickly yelled as he grabbed her arm, "Abby! Don't! Your thrusters are damaged! Even if you get it out of the city… You won't make it back before it activates… Please, there has to be another way." Abigail looked towards the young boy, his eyes pleading as he searched his thoughts for another solution. He was well aware of how much time was left, he could not bear to allow Abigail to take the device and risk being caught in the blast. Her suit was failing, they both knew that it would be a one-way trip for her. In fact, in her current state, Abigail might not even be able to get the device out in time. But Abigail looked into his eyes, she smiled as she went to hug the boy, "Hiro, I'm sorry. There's no time to discuss this… I'm the only one left who can fly this out of here, so it has to be me… I can't risk losing you, Aunt Cass and everyone else. It's been… such a blessing to have gotten to know you and spend time with you, Hiro. But I made a promise to Tadashi that I'd keep you safe. You saved me once, allow me to return the favor."

Abigail quickly pushed herself away as she dashed towards the frozen disintegration device, Hiro watched her run as time slowed down for him. As he saw her run towards the machine, suddenly experiencing a flashback of Tadashi running selflessly into the burning symposium. He looked down, seeing his micro-bots and the magnetic discs along the floor, his eyes widened. His fists tightened, he closed his eyes and yelled, "ODIN! Activate protective armor-lock sequence!" Suddenly, Abigail found herself unable to control her movements as the exoskeleton completely locked up and she felt her bodysuit rapidly become lined with chemical foam that cushioned her. "What?! Hiro! What are you doing?! ODIN! Deactivate armor-lock, now!" Abigail yelled, as she struggled to move her body but to no avail. "/My apologies, my lady. Your authority for that level of request is not recognized. /" ODIN responded, his voice notably apologetic.

She watched helplessly as the young boy floated in front of her among a sea of micro-bots and grabbed the disintegration device, "Hiro! Damn it, kid! Don't you dare! Unlock my armor, let me be the one to do it!" She continued to struggle with all of her might, but the exosuit would not budge. Hiro looked at her softly, "I'm not losing you, Abby. I'm not going to lose anyone again." Abigail's eyes began to tear up, "You little idiot… Think about your brother… He wouldn't want you to do this…" Hiro simply smiled at her and hugged her encased body, "I am thinking of him." The young boy rapidly sped off into the distance out towards the San Fransokyo bay, riding a sea of micro-bots. He looked back towards Abigail, who kept yelling for him, he smiled as he said on the comms, "ODIN, commence emergency pilot release and conduct comprehensive system reboot!"

Immediately, Abigail felt the Lady Kabuki exosuit shift around and release her outside of the suit. She turned around to attempt to re-enter it but noticed that the HUD stated that the system was currently rebooting. "ODIN! Override system reboot and commence short-sequence startup!" Abigail commanded, frustrated as her visor had shown that her request was denied. "Damn it, Hiro!" Her attention was quickly directed towards the sound of a grey vehicle driving towards her, its headlights brightly obscuring her view. It suddenly turned and stopped right in front of her, seeing that Gogo was in the driver seat. Gogo waved her in, "Abby, hop on! We'll go after Hiro!" As she moved towards the front passenger seat, Abigail saw Honey Lemon, Wasabi and Fred leave the vehicle. Honey Lemon yelled to them, "Go get Hiro! We'll make sure Momokase remains captured!" Abigail nodded to her, hopping through the window into her seat. Gogo immediately stepped on the gas pedal, rapidly accelerating to follow the path Hiro took.

Up ahead, Hiro consecutively launched several magnetic discs along his city path towards the waterfront in the distance. Activating them as they were directed towards him, he used them to propel himself and the micro-bots that were transporting him. It rapidly increased his speed, as he continued to use the last of his magnetic devices to pull himself along. In between the magnetic devices, he would use his magnetic gauntlets to increase the speed of his micro-bots. As he continued down, the disintegration device in hand, he could not help but think about Tadashi. Was this what he felt when he ran towards the fire to try to save Professor Callaghan? He admitted that Tadashi wouldn't want Hiro to be doing this, but then again, he wouldn't have wanted Hiro to place himself in danger at all doing all of this hero business. But Tadashi's dream of helping people and saving lives, that's what drives the boy's actions. But as he told Professor Granville, Tadashi took risks too and Hiro would be his own person. This is the path he chose, and he was going to protect everyone so long as he had the power to. He always wondered what could have been, had he just stopped Tadashi long enough before the building exploded. He couldn't bear to see the same thing happen to Abigail. The boy did not regret choosing to stop her at that moment. He had found another angle, but he was the only one who could do it using his micro-bots and she was stubbornly adamant to take the device herself.

As he neared the waterfront at the pier of Fish Town, he immediately allowed the disintegration device to be carried off by his micro-bots. Remembering Professor Callaghan use the micro-bots to travel across the ocean bay to carry a component of the Silent Sparrow machine, he filled the water with the rest of his micro-bots. The tiny machines moved in unison, coordinating to create a mobile tower that lifted the disintegration device towards the sky as the micro-bots carried it off further out towards the open ocean. Hiro continued to concentrate, as he watched the device move farther and farther away. "C'mon… c'mon…" he bit his lip in anticipation, concentrating as he controlled the micro-bots. Then suddenly, in the dark background of the night sky and blackened horizon of the ocean, a bright-red bubble began to expand out in the distance. Seeing that it was well out of range of the city and above the ocean, Hiro quickly thought about what Fred would say in the moment, "Time to end this with a bang." The massive red bubble quickly burst, a portion of the ocean momentarily disappearing as it was caught in the disintegration device's blast. The void quickly filled, the waves ripping back inward.

With a heavy sigh of relief, Hiro fell back and lay flat as he stared at the night sky. He was completely exhausted, he tried to slow his breathing so his heart rate could finally calm down from the whole ordeal. The young boy saw the lights of an approaching car, he got up to see Wasabi's vehicle speeding and drifting to a stop. Already knowing that it couldn't possibly be Wasabi driving, he shuddered, "Oh, no…" He stepped back nervously as he saw two females aggressively exit the small vehicle, he laughed unsteadily, "Hey, guys…! We did it! Great job, team…!" They marched up to the young boy, he smiled nervously at the two young women. Abigail and Gogo were in sync as they simultaneously punched the boy in both of his arms. "You could've gotten yourself killed, knucklehead!" Abigail spoke sharply. The young boy yelped, "Ow! Okay, that's a 'seven!' I get it, I'm sorry!" The two sister-figures quickly pulled the boy in to hug him. Gogo spoke tenderly but with a firm tone as she pointed a finger at him, "Don't ever do that again, boy genius. But... not bad, for a little man." Abigail said playfully, "Next time you want to play hero, just tell me your plan… but, good job. You saved the city again. Oh, and by the way… that was a dirty trick you pulled, kid."

"Well, you were so caught up in with your speech, so you wouldn't let me argue with you…" Hiro laughed, Abigail quickly looked at him with a glare. He shuddered, "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm sore as it is, so no more punches please, guys! I'm just... glad to see you guys are okay. I didn't want anything to happen to you." The two women laughed and shook their heads. Abigail playfully patted and ruffled his head a little. Gogo directed the young hero back to the car, "C'mon, boy genius. We got a certain villain to lock up for all this mess."

* * *

With his slightly-tanned bare hands piercing through the metal armored-plating of the buddy guard, Liv Amara's assistant, Chris, casually slipped the drone off of his arm. He looked around with seeming disinterest as the berserk drones were no longer attacking indiscriminately and were retreating from the city. He sighed, "Well, the fun was rather short-lived…"

He looked over towards his boss, who was standing casually with a pair of high-tech optics as they stood atop a hillside. In the distance, they were able to see the SFIT campus and observed the captured Momokase within the confines of Hiro's micro-bots.

Liv Amara smiled as she looked through the scope, "Well, she almost succeeded in taking down all of the Big Hero 6 team, all by her lonesome. I'm thoroughly impressed. She certainly does have a gift." The blonde personal assistant walked up to her, "You're not going to let her get captured, are you?"

Pulling her hand away and placing the binoculars down, the illustrious business executive reached into her purse to take out her phone. Amara laughed incredulously, "Of course not! She'll definitely be an asset in the future." Swiping through her phone, she came upon an icon that contained a small picture of Momokase.

Hearing the phone prime and activate, Amara grinned sinisterly, "And we'll need all of the help we can get." Looking at her phone which glowed bright green in the night, her finger hovered over the icon…

* * *

Back at the SFIT campus, Honey Lemon applied another truth-serum transdermal patch onto Momokase, further attempting to sedate and keep her under control. "Hah! Your plan failed, once again," Wasabi gloated at the bound villain, who quickly shot him a death glare despite her being chemically inundated. Wasabi quickly stood back with hesitation. "So, you are telling me, that she will have to tell me the truth!" Fred asked Honey Lemon with uncontrolled excitement.

"Well, sort of. But, yes, Freddy. You can ask her whatever you'd like. It will be harder for her to make an effort to fabricate a lie," Honey Lemon explained, to which the young man leapt forward to the bound villain. "Well, she already knows the question I'm going to ask… Momokase! Can you tell me how you are able to transform!? Because I want to learn how to, also!" Fred yelled, as if the serum would somehow make Momokase hard of hearing. The villain shook her head as she tried to resist the effects of the truth serum, she slowly muttered "Syco-" Then suddenly, her veins turned bright blue and yellow, as she violently began to twitch and her skin was rapidly changing to a dark grey tone. "Um… Honey Lemon! I don't think your patch is working!" Wasabi squealed as he pulled his teammates away from the mutating Momokase.

They watched in horror as Momokase was becoming completely feral, but this time the mutation seemed to go further. Her face had become even less human and more beast-like, her eyes bright yellow and her teeth sharpened. The beast let out a bloodcurdling roar that reverberated, causing the team to step further away. Suddenly, extremely large graphene claws quickly protruded through the micro-bots and the feral creature swiped away at its confines. "Oh, she's going complete 'Phase 2.5' on us guys!" Freddy exclaimed, as he prepared to breath fire.

Before the newly emerged beast could pounce on them, a slimy tendril quickly projected towards it and attempted to capture it. "Don't worry guys. Globby is in the house!" Globby continued launching slimy projectiles to try to apprehend his former colleague, but the creature dodged his attacks. It roared at them, but quickly hopped from building to building. Despite Globby's efforts, he was not able to slow her down. They watched as the mutated Momokase escaped beyond their grasp. Globby turned as Honey Lemon ran up to him and hugged the slimy hero, "Oh, Globby! Thank you for coming to help us!" Globby grinned, "It's my pleasure, tall girl! But… I have to say… What happened to Momokase? And I thought I was the monster, here?" Honey Lemon frowned, "You're not a monster, Globby. You're a hero." The slimy figure laughed shyly.

Wasabi shuddered, "Can we talk about those nails again, though? And her... well, everything going on there? That was scary. I don't think I want to fight any more monsters any time soon…" Freddy hopped forward, "But wasn't it cool!? She almost told us how she did it, too! She said 'sick' or was it 'sicko?' Was she sick? Or was she just calling me a 'sicko' for wanting to be a fire-breathing lizard? Another one of life's mysteries, I suppose..." With the screeching of tires, they turned around to see Wasabi's car drive up front, Abigail, Gogo and Hiro all exiting out of it. "Hiro!" they all yelled as they ran to hug him. Hiro smiled warmly at his friends, "You guys…" Seeing that everyone was alright after the ordeal, they all came in for a group hug. Fred yelled giddily, "Please, please, tell me you said something cool before the device went off!" Hiro shrugged casually, "Well, I did say, 'Time to end this with a bang.' Right before it exploded." Freddy grinned, "So cool! I taught you well, little dude!"

Hiro looked around and became worried as he saw the scattered micro-bots, "Umm… Where's Momokase!?" Fred patted the boy on the shoulder, looking seriously at him, "She went completely 'Phase 2.5' on us." Hiro's eyebrow raised as he momentarily raised a finger, then he lowered it quickly and sighed, "I'm not even going to ask… I'm just glad we were able to stop the disintegration device and we are all okay." He looked around at the carnage they had been a part of, "This is… going to take some work getting things back to normal…" Globby awkwardly extended his arm to touch Hiro's and Honey Lemon's shoulders, "Don't worry about it tonight, you guys. I'll help out with the clean-up. It's way past your bed time, you guys had a long day and I'm sure you could use the rest."

Hiro freaked out, "Oh, no… It's really late and Aunt Cass must be worried sick! And the power is out so she can't stress bake! Baymax, are you-" He looked to see Wasabi struggling to push the sleeping Baymax into his car. At this point, the Skymaxes arrived to take their suits away. "Don't worry, Hiro...Uhh… I'll take you guys back… to the Lucky Cat," Wasabi grunted as he stuffed the marshmallow robot into his tiny vehicle. Abigail lightly pushed the boy playfully, "Don't worry, kid. I'll go with you. You're terrible at lying, so let me do the talking when Aunt Cass asks us what happened." Hiro simply sighed as he got into the car and helped pull the sleeping Baymax in. A lot had just happened, there would be a lot to process after all of it and the city will undoubtedly feel the aftermath. He looked out towards the dark city streets beyond Golden Gyoen Park, seeing the chaos they had been a part of. But the immediate threat had ended, at least. Hiro sighed, "Thanks guys, I don't even know how to explain my way out of any of this to Aunt Cass."

* * *

**Author's Note: That concludes this mini-arc! Spanned a lot more chapters than I anticipated. But it was fun putting it together. The series will continue, so please stay tuned for more chapters to come! As a bonus note, I am glad that I was able to have Hiro utilize his nanodex, neurotransmitter and micro-bots. They are some of his best inventions and kind of got the idea from the Disney INFINITY 3.0 game (never played) since when they had Hiro as a character, he fought using the micro-bots which is a cool concept to me. This arc I really wanted to tie in Liv Amara and Chief Cruz, and Globby was a nice guest to add in as well. Really enjoyed writing this one. Thank you again for reading and hope you enjoyed it!**


	23. Vigilant Vigilantes

**Author's Note: I apologize it has been quite a while since I have been able to write. Was away for work and did not have the time to work on writing, but glad I could slowly pick back up with the series. Thanks again for reading and following along, I hope you are enjoying this series. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 23: Vigilant Vigilantes**

As Abigail parked her vehicle under the light of a beaming street lamp, she looked through the windows into the very familiar cafe. She noticed that Aunt Cass was hugging Hiro and an unfamiliar young girl in the Lucky Cat Cafe. _Oh, Hiro has another friend his age? _Abigail wondered as she smiled, seeing the two young teenagers looking uncomfortably at the bubbly, welcome embrace by Aunt Cass.

Although Alistair provided a condominium for Abigail to stay in San Fransokyo, she regularly spent some nights at the Hamada's or at Gogo's and Honey Lemon's place for dinner. As she walked through the storefront, Aunt Cass immediately burst with excitement, "Abby! Glad you could make it!"

Hiro chuckled as his face was still nestled into Aunt Cass', "Oh. Hey Abby! Umm... Guess this is your first-time seeing Megan, right?" As they freed themselves from Aunt Cass' embrace, Hiro and Megan got up as the young boy introduced his new friend, "Megan, this is Abigail. She's a family friend and also a colleague of mine from my internship."

Megan and Abigail smiled to each other, "Nice to meet you, Abigail." Abby mused, "Pleasure is mine, Megan. Glad to finally see Hiro hang out with someone his own age for a change." Megan chuckled, "Yeah, no kidding. This 'show off' doesn't seem to know how to loosen up and have fun every once in a while, like a normal teenager." She playfully nudged her elbow into Hiro's arm, who laughed shyly.

Abby chuckled, "You're telling me! I've told him the same thing so many times!" Hiro simply rolled his eyes. Aunt Cass chimed in, "Me too! He needs to do more normal kid things! But get this, Abby! Our little man just-" Hiro immediately got flustered and looked to his aunt, "Aunt Cass!" But she continued anyways and couldn't contain her excitement, "-is going to a high school dance with Megan! I'm so excited! His first school dance!"

"Really!? That's great! That's more like it, you guys will have such a blast! I remember my school dances. It was a wild mix of fun and awkwardness. Don't tease him too much if he can't dance, Megan," Abigail quipped, looking at the young boy who was getting uncomfortable from all of the attention. Megan crossed her arms and smirked, "No promises there."

"Hey! Rude! Well, it will be nice to be like a normal kid for once," Hiro laughed uneasily, now realizing that this would be something very different for him. He had never gotten the chance nor really had the time to do things kids his age or grade did. He got flustered and did not want to dwell on it at the moment, changing the subject, "But... umm... Perfect timing, Abby! Dinner is just about ready, right Aunt Cass?"

Aunt Cass clapped her hands together and looked at the young dark-tanned teenager, "That's right! Megan, you will be joining us for dinner, ok? And don't worry, I asked your dad if it would be okay to keep you out a bit longer and he's ok with it. What do you say?"

"Whoa! My father must really trust you, Aunt Cass. He never lets me stay out with people late, even with some of my own family. I'm in!" the young girl responded, lifting a thumb up towards Aunt Cass, who was so elated to have guests. The four of them walked upstairs to the dining area, followed by Mochi. Aunt Cass got the entrees ready for the table with Hiro helping her by getting plates and utensils for their guests.

Abigail looked to Megan who sat across the table, "Overprotective father, huh? I know how that's like. I've been there for far longer than I'd like to admit, even now..." Megan smiled, "Yeah... he cares a lot... But overprotective is an understatement!"

Abigail remembered being a teenager before, wondering if the young girl was simply over-exaggerating. She laughed amusedly and asked curiously, "Really? I remember my dad would freak out if I wasn't home on time. And by on time, I mean fifteen minutes early from the time he gave me. And he made me check in every hour, on the hour. You know, typical military parenting. But then again, he had his reasons I guess... I did sneak off to bot fight at Good Luck Alley a lot..."

As Aunt Cass placed several entrees on the table, she laughed, "That sounds very reasonable, don't you think, Hiro?" Hiro laughed shyly as he simply nodded, being reminded of how Aunt Cass would ground him during his bot fighting days. Megan laughed, "Whoa! Good Luck Alley? Yeah, I'd never be able to go to a place like that even if I wanted to. My dad's exactly the same, but he also has a lot of friends around the city who look out for me so it's like I'm never out of his watch..."

Aunt Cass chimed in, "Yeah, Miguel has always been the protective type even with your mother when they first started dating. But he just cares a lot for you is all, Megan." Megan laughed, "Yeah, I get it. I guess that's just how parents are, right?" Hiro smiled, he had to wonder how his parents were but from what he heard from Tadashi, they were loving and protective of the two brothers. But he knew how it was to have protective guardian figures, Tadashi and Aunt Cass certainly have been that for him. And now Baymax, the gang and Abby all looked out for him as well.

Hiro responded, "Yeah, must be." The young boy smiled warmly at Aunt Cass, who he has long regarded as his mother-figure since he was little. Aunt Cass returned the smile and hugged him, then turned to her guests. "Well, you are all family here. Please, eat and don't be shy!" As usual, everyone was amazed by Aunt Cass' cooking and they enjoyed each other's company during their dinner.

* * *

After dinner, Abigail offered to take Megan home so that Aunt Cass could rest since she had to be up early to open the cafe. As she drove up to her place, Abigail remarked, "Nice neighborhood. Looks really safe." She noted as there were still folks walking around at night, walking their dogs and greeting each other peacefully. "Yeah, my dad was very meticulous at finding a safe neighborhood when he decided to move back to San Fransokyo," Megan responded.

As the car moved slowly down the neighborhood, Megan tapped Abigail's shoulder. "Right here is good. That's my place. Thank you so much again and it was great meeting you, Abby. I'll be seeing you tomorrow night, Hiro!" Megan waved goodbye to Hiro and Abigail as she left Abby's car. "It was great meeting you too, Megan. Able to get in okay?" Abby asked, as Megan took out keys to her door.

"Oh, yes! My dad is at work for a later shift this time, I'll let him know I'm here. But he already knows..." she laughed, looking up at a security camera that overlooked their house front. She waved at it both playfully and annoyingly. As she got into her house, they all bid each other goodnight.

Driving back through the city streets towards the Lucky Cat Cafe, Abby noticed that Hiro had become notably quieter and more stuck in thought. "You alright, kid?" She asked, briefly looking at the boy who seemed to get briefly startled, "Huh? Oh, yeah... I'm fine. Just tired is all..." Abigail lightly punched his arm, he laughed, "What was that for?"

"C'mon, Hiro. You're a terrible liar and you know I know that. What's bothering you?" Abigail asked. Hiro smiled lightly and looked down at his feet, "I never... got to experience what it was like to be a normal kid, you know? I didn't have any friends my age and really, I only had Tadashi growing up. It's weird... I'm nervous about this dance but for different reasons than most. I think. Sure, I'm shy and nervous to go to a dance, but... it's also because I never experienced anything like it. Being who I am, in a way it always made me feel so different and not normal that I never got around to trying things like that... it just feels like that's a whole different world from what I know."

As she continued driving, Abigail was silent for a moment. "Hiro... your brand of normalcy is different from others and that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. But it's okay to be anxious and to want to experience a bit of a different life you could have had. I may kid you about going to the dance, but it's good to see what you've missed. You work hard, for your age and for any age, for that matter. It's a welcome break that you should get excited for. It is a new world, being nervous is ok but let your curiosity drive you to explore that life a little. I really hope you get to enjoy your night out with Megan. You deserve it. And I know Tadashi would feel the same way too."

Hiro looked up at Abigail, reflecting on her words. The young boy smiled, "Thank you, Abby." Abby smiled back, "Of course! Have fun, don't worry even if it gets embarrassing. Just have fun. But too bad I won't be there to chaperone you two. I'm going with Alistair for another meeting with a city official for our project tomorrow evening."

Hiro sighed with relief, he said sarcastically "Phew! Yeah, 'too bad' you won't be able to be there..." Abigail quickly sent a fist towards his arm, but he blocked it this time. She laughed, "Yeah, aren't you lucky? Would've recorded your first dance for Aunt Cass. Better be a gentleman!" Hiro laughed, "Yeah, real lucky..."

* * *

Walking through the door into the city government building, Abigail, Alistair and Judy prepared themselves for the meeting. "Allow me to do most of the talking, Abigail. It may be a challenge trying to persuade this particular official to temporarily release your father to us. He's new in office but I heard he could be rather... tough. I'd like to take a more delicate and smooth approach, if possible," Alistair said as they waited for the elevator door to open.

Abigail laughed, "What, do you expect me to be rude to him or something? I can be civil and well-mannered when need be. Besides, I've been able to help persuade the last few folks these last few meetings." Alistair simply chuckled and took a prolonged breath, "That's true, but let's be on our best behaviors for this one..."

Alistair, Abigail and Judy walked down the corridor, passing several pillars as they arrived towards a white double door. Looking towards the police officer standing guard at the door, the officer nodded and opened the door for them. At a large circular table, there were several seats available to them. But their attention immediately gravitated to the gruff, tan-skinned man that stood tall across the room and looked outside the window. As he turned around to greet them, Abigail's eyes briefly widened with a subtle facial reaction, realizing she recognized him.

"Mr. Krei, Miss Callaghan and Miss Judy. Welcome," the man walked with uptight seriousness, moving around the table to personally shake each of their hands. Alistair smiled, "Chief Cruz, thank you for taking a moment of your time to discuss things with us." The police chief motioned them towards the seats, "It's my pleasure to meet with this city's citizens, Mr. Krei. Please, have a seat." They each found their seats as Chief Cruz walked towards his own, quickly taking a seat and interlocking his fingers to rest his hands on the table sternly.

Before Alistair could begin speaking, the police chief took the initiative, "But you will have to please forgive me, Mr. Krei. I prefer to get directly to the matter at hand, and I would like to be clear on my stance. I have no intention of supporting and honoring your request to release Robert Callaghan for your joint-government project. He is a dangerous criminal after all. No disrespect to you, of course, Miss Callaghan." The police chief looked towards Abigail, who subtly grit her teeth and clenched her fists underneath the table to hide her reaction. She forced a professionally subdued nod towards the chief.

Chief Cruz continued, "And you cannot expect me to think that it would be okay to release a man like him to be in the vicinity and custody of the very man he tried to kill." He spoke sternly, now looking towards Krei. Alistair laughed calmly, "Well, I appreciate you stating your stance upfront, but I'd like to try to change your mind, Chief Cruz. Although I cannot disclose the nature of the project itself, I assure you that its completion will benefit both humanitarian and military efforts in rapidly rebuilding war-torn areas. The work we will be doing with the government will be absolutely vital and lifesaving. It is paramount that we gain the expertise from my former colleague, Robert, as a chief consultant."

Appearing like he was controlling himself, Chief Cruz took a quick breath, "Mr. Krei, I understand that the work you do is vital around the world with the technological breakthroughs your company provides. But… that still does not change the fact that the man is a criminal that should remain behind bars for what he's done. Need I remind you, he tried to kill you, Mr. Krei. Regardless of the good he can do by helping you, it does not change the reality that he is guilty and must serve his time without exemption."

Alistair remained calm, he nodded, "Chief Cruz, I appreciate your concern and respect your desire to uphold the law. But I assure you, Robert Callaghan will remain completely supervised at all times and he will remain under the watchful protection of my executive protection team. Any chance of him escaping or conducting anything suspicious shall be stopped." Chief Cruz looked sharply at the business executive, "Mr. Krei, I do not trust your team or your security systems to keep that man under custody. It's my understanding that those drones that wreaked havoc throughout the city were originally developed and stolen from your company, correct?"

To his credit, Krei maintained his professional bearing, as he was not revealing any emotional reactions to these comments, "Chief Cruz, my security systems and executive protection personnel are the best money can buy. They are being continuously improved upon to ensure those incidents won't ever happen again. And should things truly get out of hand, I am certain the Big Hero 6 team will also be able to ensure Robert remains under supervision and custody."

Chief Cruz made no attempt now to hide his contempt, "Hmph… 'Superheroes.' It is that very sentiment that I hope to change in this city. Its citizens have come to rely on these vigilantes that take the law into their own hands. No one is above the law, especially unsupervised folks with advanced technology. Their time in prison will come, soon enough. Only a well-trained and equipped police force should be the ones to protect this city. If you want to consider releasing Robert Callaghan, you should be asking for our protection. But my stance still stands, that man will not see the light of day. Not even for you, Mr. Krei."

At that, Abigail could no longer withhold herself, "You've got to be kidding me. Tell me again, what could your police force possibly have done to protect this city from an unstable collapsing star? Or how about a massive drone attack or a disintegration device threatening to go off in the city? Your police provide a valued service, I won't discount them for being San Fransokyo's finest. But even they wouldn't be able to handle those crises like Big Hero 6 did, let alone handle my father when he was destroying Krei Tech."

Chief Cruz stood up sharply, "Those vigilantes used weaponized EMP devices within the city and caused immeasurable damage in the chaos from the blackout! What's more, my police force could not even effectively mount a defense to protect citizens when more drones came in! This city seems to defend these 'superheroes' but conveniently forgets that they have been ignoring lawful structure for their own agenda! For an ungoverned force, they possess far too much unchecked power!"

Abigail immediately stood up, not backing down as she glared at the police chief. As she looked at him, she recalled his glare that the man gave her when she hovered above him at Futatsu Peaks as "Lady Kabuki." This man had appeared like he was willing to shoot her, even though she and the Big Hero 6 team were actively protecting citizens. "The EMP blasts did cause chaos, but it's been well reported already that had they not done what they did… That disintegration device would have gone off and killed hundreds of people in an instant. From the reports, it sounds like your police force was not even aware of that threat to begin with. Those heroes risked their lives, just as your men did. And you are telling me that they are criminals?!"

Chief Cruz scoffed, "Had those vigilantes provided us with the information they were so privy to or deemed to warned us, we could have located the device and defused it. Not to mention, evacuate folks away before the chaos began. They withheld that information and put folks in danger. They took it upon themselves, when it was not for them to do that. That is what we are here for. Ever since your father attacked, there has been a rise in criminal activity mimicking 'super-villains' straight out of a comic book. These 'super-heroes' are no better, their existence will only cause more criminals to become more resilient. And I assure you, folks like Big Hero 6 are not necessary. With the increase in city funding and support from corporate donors like Sycorax, this police force will be able to handle criminals, 'super-villains' and 'super-heroes' alike."

"For one so experienced in public safety, you have such a naive, black-and-white view of what it means to keep the public safe. The public will always thank its police officers for the work they do to protect them, but you'll soon find that they won't share your critical views on their heroes," Abigail retorted, she noted his threat to arrest Hiro and the others. And this is what had gotten to her. She was not a dedicated crime-fighter like them, but she has certainly gotten a taste of what they go through. She could not stand for what this man would do to deface them and threaten their freedom.

As "Lady Kabuki," she would certainly love to see this man try to apprehend Hiro, thinking about what she would do to stop him. Having traveled the world to various third-world countries on contract assignments and with her mother, she knew that the law and those that uphold it are not necessarily infallible. She did not deny that Chief Cruz did seem to have the public's interest at heart, but his blind allegiance to maintaining authority at the expense of condemning invaluable assets like Big Hero 6, was simplistic and naive at the least.

Just as she had a disdain for the confines of authority among the military and government agencies she worked with, she also questioned the power that authority possessed here in her own city. Even an official police force can be corrupted without their knowledge, or at worst, can try to justify their authority.

"Remind me again, why it is you are here, Miss Callaghan. You were here requesting permission from _me_ to authorize your father's temporary release. Do you really think-" Chief Cruz's tone became increasingly threatening, but was quickly interjected by Alistair who raised his hand disarmingly. "I apologize, Chief Cruz. You must forgive Abigail for her… zeal. She… we both place our trust in Big Hero 6, since we had both had our lives personally saved by their efforts. So please pardon us, this is obviously a topic that we all share strong opinions about. But on the discussion on hand, I want to see if we can work out anything. Are there any conditions you would consider, in order to allow Robert to help us?" Alistair spoke with a calm demeanor that sharply contrasted with the overall atmosphere, attempting to defuse the situation.

The police chief took a breath to regain his bearing, adjusting his tie and sitting back down in his chair, "I apologize to have you come down here only to hear this, Mr. Krei. But my decision still stands that-" Before he could finish, a police officer quickly barged into the doors, "Chief! It's your daughter's high school dance. There's reports of the prison escapees 'High Voltage' there now-" Both Chief Cruz and Abigail were shocked with concern, realizing that Megan and Hiro would be caught in the trouble. "Hiro..." Abigail said softly to herself with concern.

"Megan… Call out San Fransokyo SWAT! Get units mobilized there, now!" Chief Cruz immediately commanded, both angry and concerned that his daughter was in danger. He quickly moved around the desk to leave, "You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Krei, Miss Callaghan. This meeting is adjourned. Unlike those 'super-heroes,' we have the authority and the duty to act."

Abigail scoffed at his passive-aggressive remark, she snidely commented, "Thank you for your service, chief. But I imagine Big Hero 6 is probably already there handling the situation, so enjoy taking statements on the aftermath from kids who look up to your so-called 'criminal vigilantes.'" Worrying for his daughter, Chief Cruz simply shook his head and continued to rush outside the building with his subordinates.

"Well… that went very well, didn't it? I thought I said that I should do the talking?" Alistair shook his head and crossed his arms, looking towards Abigail. "Don't give me that, Alistair. You know that man was not going to support us from the start. He's not going to budge, we need to find another approach." Krei shook his head, "We could have tried to negotiate more with him. His views may be…"

Judy stepped in, having observed the meeting the entire time, "I'm going with Miss Callaghan on this one, Mr. Krei. Chief Cruz was against us right out the gate, there's no convincing a man like that. He's an immovable obstacle." Judy nodded towards Abigail and smiled. Krei sighed, "Yeah… you're probably right. But he was a key component to getting this moving. We absolutely need Robert on board, this can't be done without him. We'll now have to look at influencing folks far above the police chief, so he doesn't have any say in the matter. Either way, I think it's safe to say that he won't be a fan of ours."

Abigail scoffed, "Fine by me. He's not a person I want to be a friend of." They walked out the building during all of the commotion, folks scrambling to respond to High Voltage's appearance. They immediately stepped into Krei's vehicle with Judy beginning to drive them. Thinking about the dance, Abigail quickly pulled out her phone to call Hiro, "C'mon, kids. Please be okay…" The dial tone continued to ring, but he did not answer. "Damn it…" she muttered, figuring that he was probably still caught up in the situation. She was worried for him and Megan, realizing that he would probably not be able to suit up with her around.

Abigail quickly turned to Alistair, who was observing and keeping up with the situation. Immediately realizing what she was going to ask, he narrowed his eyes and sighed, "Assistant! Can you get us to a secure area? Go ahead, Abigail…" Abigail smiled and winked at him, her finger hovering over her phone, "Thanks, Alistair. I'm so glad you got money." Abigail pressed on her phone, activating the "Lady Kabuki" exosuit to launch out of Krei Tech Industries after having busted through several walls in the structure. Krei got an alert on his phone, to which he annoyedly pressed a button to ignore the notification stating that his building was being damaged.

As they stopped in a secluded park, Abigail quickly stepped out and was promptly met by ODIN operating the AEXOS system. Krei yelled out towards her as she donned the suit and conducted its short-sequence startup, "Can you please find a better way to store your suit! My crews are getting annoyed of rebuilding my… well, everything!" Abigail smiled apologetically, waving goodbye as Judy waved back casually, she laughed, "You're the best, Alistair! Thanks!" Krei sighed, "Yeah, I know that already!" The "Lady Kabuki" activated its thrusters, immediately launching Abigail above the city.

"ODIN, highlight Hiro's location on my HUD. Get me in contact with Gogo, please," Abigail requested as she hovered above the city night skyline. "/Right away, my lady. /" ODIN responded, followed by the static of their communications system. She immediately heard Gogo who was grunting as sounds of electricity surged in the background, "Abby! High Voltage is at the school dance! We could use your help against these freaks!" With their location identified, Abigail launched herself in that direction, "I'm on my way, Gogo. Hang in there. Where's Hiro and Megan? Are they ok?" Gogo took a moment to respond, "Megan got out okay with the other students. Hiro is with us, he's okay… well, we're okay for now as long as Honey Lemon can hold them off…"

"Copy that. Hang in there, guys! On the way now!" Abigail said as she maneuvered through the city. During the rush, she noticed various police squad cars rushing towards the area with lights and sirens blaring. Immediately setting foot on the adjacent building from the high school, she looked down to see crowds of students rushing throughout the street to escape the chaos. As she scanned through them, she saw a young student in a blue dress that was looking around the crowd. The young girl yelled, "Hiro! Where are you?!" She immediately recognized that it was Megan, Abigail sighed with relief to at least see she did make it out safe.

Out of the corner of her periphery, she saw two blue humanoid figures slither outside of the school from another entrance. In their wake, they left a pinkish slime behind them. "More mutants?!" Abigail exclaimed, engaging her thrusters to move her towards them. "High Voltage I presume? Surrender, you're not getting away. You're coming with me," Abigail lowered herself to a hover and as she pointed towards the mutants.

The two eel-like duo simply looked at each other and then stared at Abigail's Kabuki-mask designed helmet. Barb asked, "Who are you supposed to be? Another super-hero weirdo?" Abigail simply canted her head, through her polarized mask she gave them an incredulous look, "Odd to be called a 'weirdo' by a bunch of weird eel-fish people, but ok. The world is a different place now, I suppose."

"Hey! Rude!" Juniper exclaimed, a look of indignation expressed by the mother-daughter villain duo. They both hoped up on their feet and electrical charges surged between them, Abigail prepared herself. They both pointed at Abigail, trails of rapid electrical streams surged towards her and she immediately maneuvered.

Abigail continued to dodge them, but she wondered how she could apprehend them or fight them. She still had a laser system and a graphene katana, permanently acquired from her fight with Momokase. Under the circumstances, these would be inappropriate to fight them. She needed to capture them, seeing hand-to-hand fighting would be her only option until she could improvise.

After sidestepping a surge of electricity, she immediately burst forward towards Barb and thrust a palm-heel strike at her stomach. Barb sharply exhaled as she was propelled into a car. As soon as she made contact with Barb, Abigail felt a surge of electricity spark through her and her HUD visor began to distort. She winced in pain at the sudden shock. "/W-Warning. Pow-power surge- systems failing-ing/" ODIN warned as the screen blared haphazardly.

Juniper yelled as she angrily shot a ball of electrical energy at Abigail, "Mama!" Attempting to quickly recover from the electrical charges, Abigail realized her thrusters weren't operating correctly and the electricity must have been interfering with the neurotransmitter and the nano-dex circuitry. Without the suit function properly, she could feel the sudden weight of her armor and it slowed her down.

_Note to self: Not a good idea to fight these guys up close, _Abigail thought to herself. But she was not too close in proximity to Juniper and had to engage her. She narrowly dodged the ball of electricity and dashed forward. Abigail gripped Juniper's forearm and hooked under her shoulder, sharply turning into her body to perform a Judo-style shoulder throw. It sharply knocked Juniper on her back, but Abigail continued to feel the surge of electricity.

"Juni! Hang on, baby!" Barb quickly launched more electricity at Abigail and the white-armored heroine forced herself to roll out of the way. Barb immediately helped her daughter up, she looked to her, "Time for a big finish, baby!" They nodded towards each other, shimmying around as they continued to amass more electricity between them. They both simultaneously leapt up and pushed into the ground together, creating an electrical shockwave in all directions.

Attempting engage her thrusters again, Abigail briefly took flight unsteadily but was caught in the blast. Her thrusters went haywire and she felt herself be uncontrollably propelled into the air, she gritted her teeth as she braced for impact and felt the electricity begin to dissipate. She was about to be launched violently into the high school building but felt herself be caught by something.

As her visor began to clear up, she realized she was in the arms of the armored Baymax. "/I have got you/" the iron giant warmly assured her. "Thanks, Baymax! You really saved me there," Abigail smiled as she winced. Baymax lowered her on the rooftop of the school, joining up with the rest of the Big Hero 6 team except for Hiro.

"Abby! You okay?" Honey Lemon asked with concern as she ran up to hug her but jolted back as she felt a slight shock from Abigail's suit. "Yeah, sorry. Thanks guys. Just a bit shocked to meet eel people is all," Abigail chuckled as she crouched down to recompose herself. She saw that ODIN was attempting to reboot and regain control of her systems. They all looked down but were shocked to see that the dancing villain duo was screaming as they began to mutate further. Before they could act, the two became less human and simply slithered away into a sewer opening.

Seeing the condition that they were all in, they decided not to pursue as Honey Lemon pointed out, "It wouldn't be a good idea to pursue them while they're around water." Wasabi shuddered and stifled his retching, "Yeah, especially sewer water." In his chameleon-based suit, Freddy nodded enthusiastically, remembering getting caught by their electrical surge after the fire sprinkler system went off, "I agree! Not a good idea at all! Total eel-moves though, am I right?" He quickly looked to Gogo, who rolled her eyes, "Ok. Yeah, eel people. We get it. Can we go now?"

Abigail saw her visor screen become normal, ODIN notified her, "/System reboot complete. Systems are working at moderate efficiency, flight systems operational. Good to see you are ok, Miss Abigail." Abigail smiled, "Likewise, buddy. Glad to have you back, ODIN." She looked towards the team, "Where's Hiro?" Honey Lemon chimed in, "He had to change out of his armor, he's looking for Megan."

Hearing the police cars coming, Abigail nodded, "Alright. Go ahead guys, I'll catch up. I'll make sure Hiro and Megan are alright." The team all nodded, Honey Lemon responded, "Ok, Abby. We'll meet up later, ok? Thank you for coming out." Abigail nodded to them as Baymax prepared to carry everyone, and they all briefly said goodbye to Abigail, flying off with Baymax.

Flying of the rooftop towards a secluded alleyway, Abigail noticed Hiro's scooter parked. She got into the alleyway, "ODIN, you think you can get the Lady Kabuki back to Krei Tech on your own?" ODIN responded, "/Certainly, Miss Abigail. Have a good evening./" Abigail felt the bodysuit and the armor components loosen and release her, she stepped out and watched as the suit closed back on itself. She snuck out of the alleyway to see if anyone was around and looked towards the exosuit as it quickly flew back towards Krei Tech.

She ran towards the Hiro's scooter and noticed that the boy was still not around, he figured he might still be looking for Megan. She got onto the scooter and used her spare keys he gave her, starting it up and driving towards the front of the high school. As she worked her way through, she saw Hiro and Megan in the distance talking to an officer. As she got closer, she scowled as she recognized the officer being Chief Cruz, "Great. Him of all people..."

Hiro turned around and was briefly startled to see someone riding his scooter until he recognized Abigail, "Abby! Uh? What are you doing here?" Abigail stepped off the scooter and took the helmet off, "I heard something was going on and was in the area, wanted to check on you guys. I'm glad you guys are safe."

Megan ran up to Abigail and hugged her briefly, "Yeah, we're ok, Abby. Just can't believe there were super-villains at our dance! But Big Hero 6 were here when things got bad." Chief Cruz got off of his phone and walked up to them as he groaned, "Megan... that's enough." Abigail was briefly surprised to quickly piece together that Megan was Cruz's daughter. She smirked at the police chief, her comment that the students would look up to Big Hero 6 held up... by his own daughter no less.

"Miss Callaghan... fancy seeing you again so shortly. Seems we keep bumping into each other. How do you happen to know my daughter and Hiro?" the police chief asked, seemingly hiding his annoyance. "Yes, small world I suppose... I met Megan yesterday when she was at the Lucky Cat's. And as for Hiro, I'm a friend of the Hamada's," Abigail responded as she got out Hiro's helmet from the compartment.

"Hmph... guess that makes the two of us. I'm an old friend of Cass', I guess I'll be seeing you two around more. Nice to meet you, Hiro. Be seeing you around, Miss Callaghan," Chief Cruz nodded towards them as he looked towards Megan. "I'll take you back home, Megan. My guys will handle the rest here at your school. You two, be safe heading back to the Lucky Cat's. Give my best to your aunt for me."

"Will do, sir. Nice to meet you, too. See you, Megan! Thanks for... inviting me to your dance. Sorry it was a 'shocker,'" Hiro laughed uneasily, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Megan laughed, "Yeah, but it was a 'blast!' Next time, let's get you out to do something more normal like a movie? And see you at Joe's for homework tomorrow, little college man?"

"Yeah... Umm... sounds good!" Hiro laughed shyly. Abigail chuckled at their exchange. Chief Cruz opened the window from his police cruiser, "Let's go, Megan." Megan's face became annoyed and she sighed, "Coming, dad!" She rolled her eyes, waving at them, "Good night, Hiro, Abby! By the way, teach Hiro some dance moves, Abby! Finally found something he's not good at!" She laughed as she got into the police cruiser.

"Hey, so rude!" Hiro exclaimed, as he laughed embarrassedly. They watched as Chief Cruz and Megan drove off. Abigail laughed as she handed Hiro his helmet, "Ouch! Boy genius isn't a genius at dancing? Now that's a 'shocker!'" Hiro's eyes narrowed as he quickly snatched his helmet, "Hey! Never had time to learn how to dance! Tadashi always made fun of me for it, too... But hey, I tried to have fun, anyways."

Abigail lightly nudged the boy in the arm, she smiled warmly, "Well, under the circumstances, that's all that matters. Sorry you couldn't escape being 'hero Hiro' for your first dance, but I hope you were able to have fun before it all went down."

Hiro looked down, "Yeah... it was actually kind of nice for a moment. Kind of... really wondered what it would like to be like a normal kid my age, you know? It was nice to get a taste for it. But honestly, I wish the night would have just been normal." Abigail placed her hand on his shoulder, "Nothing wrong with who you've been Hiro. You got a special gift that does set you apart from most, but at a place like SFIT, you are normal and when you are your hero self, well that's a part of who you truly are... It's not whether you should be 'normal' like other kids or not, it's how you choose to live your life along with your talents and gifts. You just need to find more balance in your life and enjoy it more. You'll have plenty of time to continue your work but your teenage years may pass you by. Spend more time with folks like Megan and yes... Karmi, too. You're not always going to be the small kid you are... well I don't know, seems like you're running late on your growth spurt and judging by Aunt Cass' 'immortally young' appearance, you might not change much..."

"Is this supposed to be a pep talk, Abby?" Hiro said with a confused look, putting on his helmet. Abby ruffled his helmet while he tried to tighten it, "Jeez! I'm just saying, Megan was right. All work and no play is not healthy. But also, there's nothing wrong with being you. With everything we've done and gone through, sometimes we just can't be 'normal' but that's not a bad thing either. It's just a part of what makes us, us."

"Thanks, Abby... I think I know what you're getting at. Thanks... but, by the way... When did you meet Megan's dad?" Hiro asked as he got onto the scooter behind Abigail, she shot back a seething face, which startled and scared the boy. "It's been a long day, how about we save that for another time. I want to keep the mood light," Abigail took a deep breath and laughed.

"Oh... okay, sounds like that's... for the better?" Hiro laughed uneasily, not wanting to push the issue. Hiro recognized that Megan's father was going to be an issue that they would have to deal with, and it was something that honestly worried him. Perhaps Abigail had already ran into a similar issue, based on Chief Cruz' tone speaking to her.

As they rode back to the Lucky Cat, Hiro couldn't help but think about the night. He did have a taste of a normal kid's life briefly. But more issues involving his superhero life are surfacing. Now he had to contend with the fact that there was someone out there behind the scenes who was bioengineering mutated monsters, from Orso Knox, Momokase and now High Voltage. There was a looming threat out there that he couldn't identify yet.

And what's more, with a new police chief, him and his team may become at odds with the law. Although he was resolved to do what he felt was right... the prospect of having to possibly evade the law and have an enemy in Chief Cruz, of all people, was unsettling. He was not only Megan's father but also an old friend of Aunt Cass', they would most certainly be directly under his lens and he would be too close for comfort.

As he was deep in thought, Abigail looked back briefly at the boy and smiled, "So... you think Karmi might get jealous of your new 'BFF?'" Hiro merely groaned, his face unamused, "Umm... How about we not talk about that, too...?"


	24. Cruz'ing Through a Delusion

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 24: Cruz'ing Through a Delusion**

"I understand, council member Conway... thank you for your time," Alistair said with subdued frustration before quickly ending the phone call and sinking deep into his seat in defeat. He spun around to look at Abigail who was standing quietly as she looked out the window towards the San Fransokyo city skyline from the Krei Tech building.

Wearing his internship attire, Hiro stood up from his seat and casually leaned on Mr. Krei's table, "Sounds like Chief Cruz has effectively shut down our chances at getting Professor Callaghan temporarily released." The young boy still could not believe that it was Megan's father who was causing them trouble, both for this project and for their super-hero duties.

Mr. Krei rested his hand on his forehead and combed through his hair with his fingers, sighing, "I'm afraid so. Friends I had in high places are now swaying in his favor... he has the city's authorities behind him on this one." Hiro shrugged, sarcastically stating, "Well, looks like we will just have to break Professor Callaghan out then."

At that moment, Abigail turned around to look at the two, "Precisely. That is exactly all we can do now. So that's going to be our course of action." Hiro and Krei looked at her with bewilderment, Alistair spoke incredulously, "Abigail, you can't be serious? I was half-joking back when I first proposed that idea."

But Abigail's tone of voice and demeanor did not betray her sincerity, "Yes. We've made too many preparations and assembled everything, only to be stopped by some authoritarian police chief stomping his way around the city to establish his dominance." The business executive and the young boy looked at each other. Krei responded, "I understand how you feel, Abigail. But you might be allowing your grudge with Chief Cruz to get the better of you on this."

It was true, in all of her interactions with the new police chief, Abigail had become more convinced that he was increasingly becoming an obstacle and threat. Abigail took a deep breath, realizing that she was immensely tense and consciously relaxed as she smiled, "Perhaps... but it all still stands that I won't give up on rebuilding Silent Sparrow. My dad is the key to moving forward. Getting Baymax back is still my main mission, and Cruz will not stop me from bringing him back to you and Aunt Cass."

Hiro saw Abigail look to him, he noted that her eyes were showing stubborn determination. She would not be deterred, but he had to think on this decision. They would be explicitly breaking the law, breaking out a criminal for their personal desires and agenda. He had to wonder, at what point were they crossing a line that should not be crossed? Where does the line between being a super-hero, vigilante and criminal blur? Even if it is for Baymax, is this the right thing to do just because it would help all of them heal?

Abigail walked up to Hiro and placed her hand on his shoulder. They were entering far riskier and morally-grey areas, she did not want to place the boy in a position that he was uncomfortable with. "Hiro... I don't want to put you in a bind. I understand what I am proposing. So... if you do not want to continue with this project... or even object to us moving forward in this way... I would respect it and respect your wishes. Just know that with every passing day, I... still think about Baymax's sacrifice for me and want to get him out of that dimension. I know where I stand with how things are going. My father will serve his time, once this project is completed, he will be handed back to authorities."

Hiro looked to her, he believed that Abigail was telling the truth and meant well. He sighed, "I... understand where you are coming from, Abigail. I want Tadashi's Baymax back, too. Trust me, I do. But this is risky, and everyone involved has to be on board. And I think... for myself, I'll need some time to think on this one. Please give me some time to think about it."

Abigail smiled, appreciating his mature answer, "Please do take the time to think about it. Were it not for Chief Cruz, I wouldn't even consider this to be an option." Hiro laughed softly, "Yeah... I know. Me too." They both looked to Mr. Krei, who was obviously concerned with the increased risks to himself and his company. But he sighed and smiled, "Whatever your decision, Hiro, Abigail... I'll support you on this project." Abigail nodded towards both of them, "Thanks, guys."

* * *

Laying down on his bed, Hiro took a deep breath and ruffled his fingers through his messy black hair. He could not identify another angle to approach this situation. Getting Professor Callaghan was paramount to their rescue mission but breaking him out was blatantly illegal. He sighed, asking himself, "What is the right thing to do here?" He looked over towards a picture frame showing him and Tadashi, "What would Tadashi think about this?"

Suddenly, he heard the telltale squeaky steps of his healthcare companion walking up the stairs to his room. "/Hiro, you should get dressed for dinner. Aunt Cass says she is having guests over/" Baymax advises the boy. Without getting up, Hiro asked, "Guests? Who is she having over?" Then he heard Aunt Cass walk up, "Hiro! I forgot to mention I'm having your friend, Megan, and her father over for dinner tonight. Go wash up, they'll be here anytime soon. Diego is a punctual man."

Hiro's eyes opened wide and he shot up from bed, making Aunt Cass a bit concerned, "What? What's wrong?" Hiro was not prepared to see the man that was causing them so much trouble, at his own house of all places. He tried to play it off, rubbing his eyes, "Oh! Umm... yeah I just took a nap so... just a bit disoriented is all!" Aunt Cass paused, "Ok. Go wash up and fix your hair a bit. Then come down." He responded. "Ok, Aunt Cass!"

He watched as she walked back down the stairs, then plumped down onto his bed again and sighed. "/Hiro, your cortisol levels are elevated. This indicates you have increased stress levels. Is there something wrong?/" Baymax walked up as he continued to scan his primary patient. Hiro looked up at Baymax, then immediately thought about his dream about the other Baymax. _Hiro, I will always be with you, _the healthcare companion told him, but in his dream, he had the reassuring voice of Tadashi.

"Do you think... Tadashi would be ashamed of me... if I did something that broke the law to do what I felt was right?" Hiro asked, as he looked at a photo of him, Tadashi and Aunt Cass. Retrieving Professor Callaghan to rescue Tadashi's Baymax... continuing to fight crime and protect others even if it meant opposing the police... these were moral situations he did not anticipate to come across.

"/I do not understand. Much like when you had went undercover for bot fighting, I still do not understand how it is ok to do something that is right but breaks the law./ Baymax responded, Hiro looked down. "/But Tadashi did mention his concerns over something similar./" A screen surfaced on the front of Baymax, revealing a tired Tadashi in his SFIT lab. In the recorded video, Tadashi put down some tools and looked towards the screen.

He sighed, "Sorry, big guy. Looks like that's all the work I'll be doing on you tonight. Been a long day. Aunt Cass and I bailed Hiro out of jail again today... I don't like to lecture him and Aunt Cass is doing her best, but I feel like I need to be there for Hiro just like mom and dad were when I kept getting into trouble. We did get in a heated argument, though." Hiro looked down, his eyes drifted down as he remembered that particular argument.

Tadashi continued, "Hiro... he's such a smart kid, but for someone with such a big brain... it's like he doesn't know what to do with it sometimes. It always worries me when he goes to Good Luck Alley, he already has a criminal record associating himself there and he could get hurt there. He says that he should be able to use his intellect for something fun and lucrative. But deep down... I know that my brother isn't a criminal, he's a good kid and I have to trust he'll come around to being more responsible."

Hiro smiled, looking at his brother. He always had faith in the young boy, no matter his mistakes. Tadashi looked up to the screen once again and chuckled, "But I'm no person to lecture him about getting into trouble. He was too young to remember, but I had my fair share of trouble and having run-ins with the law. Mom and dad really tore into me back then. Hiro is like how I was, I suppose, always questioning authority and challenging it. I guess, in the end... all I can hope for is that he'll come around and do what he feels is right. And even if he should continue to challenge authority like he always does, that he won't just do it for his own benefit just because it would be personally lucrative. I just hope he keeps me and Aunt Cass in mind, whatever he does with his life. Well... thanks for listening to me, big guy. You can't talk yet, but it helps to vent to you. I'm satisfied with my care, buddy."

The screen paused, with Tadashi smiling through the screen almost as if he was smiling directly towards Hiro. Hiro hugged his brother's image and Baymax. Baymax reiterated, "/Tadashi is correct, you are a good kid./" Hiro smiled warmly, "Thanks, Baymax." The robot simply replied, "/You are welcome, Hiro./" With that, the screen disappeared.

_Keep Tadashi and Aunt Cass in mind... I'm doing this for them, too. And for us to heal, to get a piece of Tadashi back... _Hiro thought to himself, as he got ready for their dinner. "Hiro! They're here! Come on down!" Aunt Cass yelled from downstairs. "Coming, Aunt Cass!" Hiro yelled back down, taking a deep breath and exhaling quickly before he proceeded down.

As he went downstairs, he was immediately greeted by Megan, "Hey, Hiro!" He smiled, "Hey, Megan!" They went up to each other and high-fived. The young boy looked towards her father, who was taking off his coat and placing it on a rack. The gruff man turned around as Hiro outstretched his hand towards him, "Chief Cruz, pleasure seeing you again, sir."

The man was stiff and formal but smiled lightly and shook Hiro's hand firmly. "It's good to see you again too, young man. But please, I'm guest of your aunt's and we go way back. You can call me Uncle Diego." Hiro hid his surprise and tried to maintain his composed demeanor, it was odd to be in such a familiar setting with this man.

"Oh, ok. Well, uncle. Megan. Please take a seat, I'll set you up a plate," Hiro said as he guided them towards the dining room table. Aunt Cass turned down the flame on stove top, walking towards Chief Cruz, "Diego, so glad you could make it on such short notice." The man became uncharacteristically warm, as he stepped forward to hug his old friend, "For you and your legendary cooking, Cass? How could I possibly refuse?"

"Yeah, I'm here mostly for the food, too. Hiro is cool too, I guess," Megan joked. "Hey! A bit rude! But I don't blame you," Hiro responded, as the two teenagers laughed. "Well, I hope you don't mind being my testers for my new Japanese-Mexican fusion recipes?" Aunt Cass smiled as she brought out the entrees while Hiro brought out the dishes and utensils.

"'Sushiritos' and sashimi fish tacos, complete with ceviche and wasabi on the side for you daring spice lovers," Aunt Cass said as she enthusiastically set down the meals. "You've outdone yourself as always, Cass," Chief Cruz said, as Aunt Cass sat down with the rest of them. "Thanks, Diego. Well, dig in, guys!" Aunt Cass said, patting Hiro and Megan quickly on the backs as if it was the start of a race. They all happily dove into Aunt Cass' eccentric fusion meals.

* * *

During the meal, Chief Cruz looked around the house. He commented, "I'm glad the house and the cafe didn't take any damage during the EMP-drone incident." Aunt Cass smiled, "Thanks, me too. The big red guy and the cute little leader of Big Hero 6 stuck around to protect the neighborhood. If it weren't for them, I don't know what would've happened to the cafe."

Hiro noticed Chief Cruz' hands tense up. Chief Cruz looked to her, "My men were spread out thin, I'm sorry they weren't there to help evacuate you, Cass. The EMP took down our radios, I tried to send folks this way." Aunt Cass shook her head dismissively, "I know, Diego. You don't have to apologize. That was a crazy situation and you and your men did their best."

Diego looked at her, his face still rather serious, "Still... should anything happen like that again. I'll make sure you and Hiro are safe. The mayor and certain corporation donors have been generously funding us, so we'll have more staffing and better equipment to deal with this city's crazy brand of criminal activity." Hiro did not like where this conversation was heading, he was actually enjoying the light friendly atmosphere earlier and was hoping it wouldn't move this way.

Megan chimed in with concern, "You're not still going to go after Big Hero 6, are you dad?" Everyone's gaze fixed towards him, he responded, "I'm sorry, Megan. Cass. I know you must look up to them for what they did for you but understand that it is my duty to uphold the law and if they cease to break the law as vigilantes... perhaps I will not pursue them. I recognize that they have helped out in the city, but the police will rise to take the mantle again in protecting this city. If they step aside, there won't be any trouble between us."

Megan looked down, notably disappointed. "I understand, Diego. It's difficult being in your position. But I know you will do what you feel is best for this city. It's yours and Megan's home after all, and you will do what you can to make it safer," Aunt Cass said with understanding towards her old friend. Hiro looked down, he tried to control himself. "Uncle, what do you think about the recent string of bio-engineered mutant attacks?" Hiro asked, curious on how he was approaching this issue.

Chief Cruz looked to him, "Someone or some criminal organization must be causing this. It doesn't appear to be randomized. Aside from Mr. Knox, the mutations have occurred among known resurgent criminals. We are working with several agencies and corporations on the issue, so please don't worry, young man. Our department is working with experts from Sycorax to devise countermeasures." Hiro immediately thought about Karmi and Liv Amara, "Sycorax?"

"That's right. They're our main supporter. Miss Amara has graciously funded and equipped our police force. We'll be ready for more bio-engineered attacks and then some," Chief Cruz said with confidence. Although Hiro couldn't put his finger on it, this was all very unsettling for him to hear. Not to mention, he felt that the man was delusional that his police force could handle this rising crisis without the help of his team.

"Well, Megan and I must be going. She has school in the morning, and I have an early meeting with council members tomorrow. Thank you for having us over, Cass, Hiro," Chief Cruz stood up to hug Cass and shake Hiro's hand. The two teenagers high-fived again, "See you around for another study session sometime, college boy." Hiro chuckled, "Sounds good! Goodnight, Megan. Uncle Diego."

After they left, Hiro went back upstairs and looked at the "sleeping" Baymax in his charging dock. He thought about the day, about Tadashi's words and Chief Cruz' intentions. Not only did he want to bring back a piece of Tadashi's legacy, his Baymax, but he also wanted to continue fighting crime despite Chief Cruz' threat to arrest them. And if the mutations get out of hand, beyond what they are capable of handling now and what the police can do, they would need the extra firepower. Another Baymax to help fight back a city of monsters.

_And even if he should continue to challenge authority like he always does, that he won't just do it for his own benefit just because it would be personally lucrative. I just hope he keeps me and Aunt Cass in mind, _Hiro remembered Tadashi's words. He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a while. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, taking out his phone and texted Abigail, "Let's go with our last option. Meet tomorrow at Mr. Krei's lab."


	25. Bad Luck Alley

**Author's Note: I would like to mention that I really appreciate feedback to work off of and it helps me to try to iron out aspects of the story. If you are enjoying the story or see potential issues or things you would like to see, please let me know with a review. That's absolutely gold for me and I appreciate it! Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 25: Bad Luck Alley**

In a secured sub-level lab within the Krei Tech Industries compound, all members involved in the special retrieval mission sat around the room. This consisted of Hiro, Abigail, Alistair, Granville and the Big Hero 6 team. Many of the members looked notably concerned, perhaps even downright skeptical and opposed to the current turn of events. Professor Granville objected, "Abby, Hiro… Don't let your emotions get the best of you here. I understand that this means a lot to you but think of the risks. If at least, think about the attention that you'll attract from authorities. You have already been trying to petition for Robert's release. If he suddenly got broken out, they would surely suspect Krei Tech's involvement and investigate."

"Hiro, Abby. I'm going to have to agree with Professor Granville on this one. This is a bad idea. There has to be another way," Gogo chimed in with her arms crossed together. "Not to mention, this is very illegal. I didn't sign up for this. I am not okay with any of us breaking out someone out of prison," Wasabi spoke up, not liking the idea of breaking Professor Callaghan out. "Is this… really what you guys want?" Honey Lemon asked with concern.

Hiro looked to everyone, "Guys, I understand how that sounds. Breaking Professor Callaghan out would be a very risky move, it will definitely get attention and our attempts to petition has already gotten Chief Cruz' attention. But please, hear me out on our plan…"

Professor Granville and the Big Hero 6 team looked at each other, then looked to their young leader and agreed to at least hear him out. Behind the young boy was a holographic display screen, it populated with various schematics of the prison that Callaghan was residing in. Hiro cleared his throat, the proceeded, "As you know, we cannot recreate Project Silent Sparrow without the knowledge that Professor Callaghan has. While I do propose a plan to break him out… my plan will involve way more than that."

Behind the boy was images of various parts of the Silent Sparrow machine pieces at the old Akuma Island lab. "Thanks to our trusted source, Felony Carl. We have come to learn more about how Professor Callaghan operated as 'Yokai' when he put the machine together. While Professor Callaghan was able to understand and recreate the design, it was still impractical for him to gather all of the intelligence and the materials all by himself, especially during the day. He had a short time to recreate it before Krei Tech's inauguration of this very building. And using my microbots, it was too high profile so he could only operate at night."

The screen then displayed the image of three geisha-styled women, each with an eye-patch, white face paint and an assortment of weapons at their disposal. Hiro pointed at their image, "Professor Callaghan had some help to gather materials when he couldn't move around in the day. Enter 'the Fujitas.' From what is known from Felony Carl, they are a team of professional criminals that specialize in high-end theft. In the criminal underworld, they are considered among the best thieves in San Fransokyo, second only to Momokase. They worked for Yokai and gathered things for him… But they were subsequently captured by authorities before the portal incident at Krei Tech. What really makes them interesting is that they were reported to have a deep loathing for Yokai, saying that he betrayed them. The Fujitas are highly skilled. It is still unknown of their methods, but they were capable of escaping their imprisonment. They have since went underground, with their work now being only the stuff of rumors."

"This is all… fascinating, Mr. Hamada. But what do they have to do with getting Robert?" Professor Granville asked warily. Abigail stepped forward this time as Hiro nodded to her, "The first phase of our plan is to connect with the Fujitas, they will be the ones to break out my father due to their skill set and their previous criminal affiliation with him. Not to mention, it should be easy to incentivize them to capture him, making them think that they can perhaps force my father to repay or work for them." Gogo blew her gum, speaking bluntly, "So we're going to enlist the services of professional criminals to break out a criminal? Then, expect them to hand Callaghan over to us?"

Hiro smiled and pointed out, "Yes. We will be using their expertise to extract Professor Callaghan outside of the prison. But… _we_ will not be allowing them to escape with him and will return him back to the custody of authorities. Well, sort of." Everyone gave the young boy a curious and shocked expression. "So, we're breaking him out just to put him back in?" Wasabi asked. "Absolutely. The real goal here is not to break out Professor Callaghan," Hiro smirked.

"Oh! I get it! It's a classic hero fake-out move! Not only are we capturing the villainous Fujitas in the act, we'll also show the public that they can trust us to keep Professor Callaghan in custody! It's fool-proof, dude!" Fred exclaimed. Hiro smiled, "Bingo! But it's not _us_ that will be capturing the Fujitas and retrieving Professor Callaghan. Well, technically it is _us, _just not the Big Hero 6 us. We have to give the public and perhaps even Chief Cruz reason to believe that Krei Tech can handle keeping Callaghan in our custody, even without the aid of law enforcement or Big Hero 6."

"Okay… I am right there with you, little man. I understand but perhaps everyone else doesn't quite get it, so can you explain it in more detail?" Fred asked, feigning his understanding of the plan. Hiro laughed, "We'll have to be disguised to appear as Krei Tech executive protection, protecting our potential corporate asset, Callaghan. And what do you think we can use to disguise us?" Honey Lemon chimed in, "Flexible display technology. Like the buddy guards!"

Hiro nodded towards her, "Exactly! Using modified flexible display technology, we will disguise ourselves and secure Professor Callaghan back in the custody of authorities. I've also worked with Miss Judy and Mr. Krei to arrange a more 'aggressive' schedule for Krei Tech to partake in charitable events that support the public and even the police."

Mr. Krei interjected, "Not that we are just doing those just to look good! We already had those charitable events planned, just that we are going to be pushing them forward more quickly and with higher visibility." Hiro nodded, "The real objective of this plan is not to break him out but to regain favor towards ourselves so that we can have a fighting chance of releasing Professor Callaghan through official channels. This way, we won't have to directly break him out and risk being in Chief Cruz' crosshairs."

The team looked at each other, processing the plan but reacting more favorably to it than an outright prison break plan. Professor Granville nodded, she crossed her hands and rested her head on them, "Mr. Hamada, we still would have to anticipate that Chief Cruz will not allow Robert to be in our custody without direct police supervision." Hiro nodded, smiling, "I agree, Professor Granville. I do have a plan to address that when we get there. For now, I'd like to focus on releasing Professor Callaghan. So please trust me, we'll be able to deal with Chief Cruz and the police when that time comes."

Professor Granville took a moment to think, then she smiled, "Well, it seems you always have a way to figure it all out, Mr. Hamada. I am concerned but it seems you have a way to address potential issues and risks. I am not fit for field work like all of you. Hiro, Abby, I am here to make sure you guys don't take any unnecessary risks, so please include me in the planning process to approach the Fujitas." Abigail and Hiro were relieved to convince Granville, Abigail nodded, "Of course, Auntie Grace. How about everyone else? We won't proceed with anything unless everyone is on board." Gogo rested her head on along one hand and smirked, "Well, this should be interesting. I'm in." Honey Lemon smiled, "I'll help however I can, Hiro, Abby. Count me in, too." Wasabi sighed, "This seems really risky, but the plan is solid. I'm in."

"Oh, yeah! 'Operation: Prison Break to-' um… 'Prison Return…' is a go! Hmm… got to think of a cooler operation name, huh?" Fred exclaimed enthusiastically, already on board with this plan. "Great! So, our first step is to find a means to get in contact with the Fujitas," Abigail said, glad to see that everyone was getting on board thanks to Hiro's approach. Granville chimed in, "I'd imagine, a good place to start getting intel on them would be at Good Luck Alley." Everyone looked at the professor with curious looks, she shrugged, "What? I'm not exactly a stranger there. I'm familiar with the area." Hiro then remembered when he tried to tail Professor Granville when he was suspicious of her, seeing her go into Good Luck Alley when she was apparently purchasing parts for her security bots. Hiro laughed, "Professor Granville is right. According to Felony Carl, a certain one-eyed assistant to Yama has connections to the Fujitas."

Freddy rubbed his hands in anticipation, "This sounds like another undercover operation! This is just like when Captain Fancy in Issue 347 had to go undercover as a supervillain!" Wasabi looked at Fred weirdly, "Um… Fred? As a supervillain?" Hiro laughed, "Fred isn't wrong. Abigail and I are also familiar with Good Luck Alley and that world thanks to our bot-fighting days. We'll be investigating there as undercover criminals. So… Fred, you will be our consultant on developing our villain persona and advise us on how to proceed as believable, undercover villains." Fred squealed, "Classic 'Phase 2' story! Freddy so happy! You guys are going to be super cool! I'm in, little dude!"

* * *

Fred and Abigail watched as Hiro was hard at work, rearranging holographic schematics to design two supervillain suits for Abigail and Hiro's undercover mission. Fred chimed in, "So cool, Hiro! But in order to blend in with the criminal underworld, you're going to have to make your suits look even more sinister! Like, especially for you… Look more super-villain to the point that the villains are afraid of you." Abigail laughed, "What Fred is trying to say is, criminals won't take you as serious since you're small and short. So, make your suit look extra intimidating."

Hiro looked up from his seat at the two with an unamused expression, standing up and getting on top of his chair so he could be taller than them for the moment. The two chuckled, as Hiro went back to work and focused on his own suit design. "You want more sinister-looking? How about this?" Hiro smirked as he looked down at them, adding a polarizing skull design with glowing red eyes, along with a traditional Japanese-style Irezumi full-body tattoo design along the suit. Demons and a long dragon coiled along the suit, giving it a Yakuza criminal underworld feel. Abigail crossed her arms and smiled slyly, "Short, cute and intimidating? That's a dangerous combination."

Hiro's eyes narrowed at her as she laughed, "There is just no winning with you, is there?" Abby smiled, "I'm just messing with you, kid. That will do the trick, I'm sure. Now, how about mine?" Hiro rolled his eyes, then brought up a holographic image of the Lady Kabuki and scrapped its initial aesthetic into a holographic trash bin. As he swiped his hands along and typed away at a holographic keyboard, Fred and Abby watched as he created an entirely new helmet design. What appeared was a demon face with horns, leering teeth that had protruding sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. Abby immediately recognized it as a Hannya mask used in traditional Japanese Noh theater. Much like Hiro's suit, her armor would be adorned with traditional Irezumi tattoo designs but with flowing koi and cherry blossoms along it.

The two armor designs floated side by side on the monitor, Hiro placed his hands along his waist and smiled at his design, "Well, what do you guys think? Villain enough for you?" Abigail looked up at the boy who was still standing tall on his seat above them and shook her head smiling, "Yeah, definitely, kid." But Fred took a long pause as he awkwardly drank from the straw of a Yaki taco soda cup, slurping for a long time. Then he suddenly burst out, "I got a great idea!" Hiro got startled and fell off of his chair, Abigail catching him. "Every bad baddies got to have a cool villain name, right? Hiro, you will be 'Dokuro' and Abby, you will be 'Lady Hannya.' How about it?!"

Hiro and Abigail looked at each other, as she let the young boy down on his feet so he could stand back up. "Umm… 'Dokuro?'" Hiro asked, as he tried to casually stand back up after Abby carried him. Abby laughed, pulling an internet image from her phone of a small, cartoony plush toy that looked like a cute little skull-faced kid. At that moment, Professor Granville walked into the lab, having heard their exchange. "I think it's rather fitting, Mr. Hamada." She walked up to them and looked at his design. Hiro shook his head, "Not you too, Professor Granville…" They all laughed. Unable to think of another name, Hiro smacked his forehead and sighed, "Unbelievable… Okay, fine… 'Dokuro,' it is. Can we discuss how we're going to approach Yama, now?"

Getting to business, Granville put in a data chip into the computer, "Yes. I've been gathering some intel on current activity in Good Luck Alley and our 'friend,' Yama. In a few nights, he will be meeting with other local crime bosses. You and Abby shall be attending this meeting, offering payment to Yama or any of these folks if they can provide us with a means to get in contact with the Fujitas. We'll have the rest of the team on standby if anything goes wrong, acting like they are there to stop the crime meeting. Mr. Frederickson, you will be running reconnaissance and observation in your chameleon setup. If all goes to plan, we'll have a way to meet with the Fujitas. From there, we will arrange a meeting with them and negotiate a prison break plan for Robert."

Granville pulled up a map of Good Luck Alley, indicating where she would want to stage the Big Hero 6 team on standby, where Fred would be actively observing the area and the building where the crime bosses will be meeting at. They all nodded, as Fred stepped forward, "Key thing here, guys. You will be among all of the local baddies, it's always a competition of who is the biggest baddie that reigns on top. So, you have to establish your dominance and show that you hold all of the cards. In this case, you got the villain look down and truck loads of cash. But if they question your toughness, you got to look them mean in the face and spit on the ground."

"Um… Fred? We're wearing masks… I'm not spitting," Abigail looked at him with an amused look. "But I get what you mean. We'll have to really play the part." Hiro crossed his arms, "You're talking to ex- bot fighters here, Fred. We can show our dominance there, whether we are there as superheroes, villains or just ourselves." Professor Granville and Abby looked at the young boy amusedly, he shrugged, "What? It's true! I've made Yama look like a fool, plenty of times! With no gear! But that reminds me, Abby. We'll have to get used to the villain suits, they will have some additional features compared to our usual armored suits but will handle more like the 'phase 3' exosuits." He happily pressed on a holographic icon on the screen, initiating the laser-cutting three-dimensional printers to begin creating their 'Dokuro' and 'Lady Hannya' suits. "Well, I'm not going to lie… This is going to be quite entertaining crashing this party," Abigail smiled.

"Okay! Well, let me coach you on how to act like a big baddie! I've read _plenty_ of comics to know how they act!" Fred said, clearing his throat as if he was getting ready to lead a college-level lecture. "Alright, Fred. Educate us," Hiro chuckled.

* * *

Hanging off the railing of a catwalk from his coiled tail, Fred remained camouflaged as he looked down at a dark alleyway. At a distance, he could see several thugs walk out of a limousine, a group of thugs looked around cautiously as their leader was escorted into a building. "The clowns have exited the clown car. I say again, the clowns have exited the clown car," Fred spoke into the internal comms. Wasabi came onto the system, "Fred! Stop making up passphrases!" Then suddenly, another vehicle arrived, several men exiting followed by a woman with an eyepatch and a large man in a track suit. "Mama goose is in the nest. I say again, the mama goose is in the nest," Fred spoke again. Wasabi responded, "Okay, I guess we can understand that one."

"Copy that, Yama has arrived. Abby- er… I mean 'Lady Hannya', looks like we're up," Hiro said as he looked at the demon-masked Abigail. Abigail chuckled, "Good to go, 'cute little skull face.'" Hiro sighed, "Let's just get this over with…" They nodded and both activated their optical camouflage to blend into the background and sneak into the building where the meeting was being held. "Good luck, 'super-villain duo,'" Gogo said to them on the team communications system. "We'll be ready just in case anything goes wrong, Hiro, Abby," Honey Lemon chimed in, waiting next to the armored Baymax and Wasabi as they staged several blocks away in a dark alleyway. Professor Granville spoke into the system with authority, "Okay. It's game time, people. Cut the chatter and stay on your toes." Everyone simultaneously responded, "Right!"

Within the building, several prominent criminal bosses stood within a traditional Japanese-designed room, ceremoniously sitting on wooden floors. All with various distinguishing features that made them particularly intimidating, from eye patches, fully tattooed body suits and others being well-dressed in tailored all-white suits. Each of these bosses, referred to as "oyabun," acted as the boss for their respective organizations. They were each surrounded by their close leadership, protected by the "kyodai" or "big brothers." As they looked at each other, it was apparent that they were there for business but did not trust each other. A certain tension could be felt between them. At the end of the room, presiding over them, Yama spoke loudly, "My brothers, thank you for coming into my house and honoring us with your presence. Our clans have had our differences in the past. But as we continue to face a stronger police force and the local super-hero weirdos in this city, it is apparent we must conduct business jointly to guard our interests."

The gruff men simply nodded, some spoke softly among their organization. One of the oyabun crime bosses spoke up, "That's right. We've been losing a lot of our membership as they get rounded up and put in prison. Business has not been so lucrative with so much interference. We have to help each other." Suddenly, a digitally-distorted and sinisterly voice spoke up, "And that is precisely what we have come to speak to you about, my brothers." Cautiously, the men look around, standing up quickly and readying their weapons. They suddenly saw a skull-faced dark figure materialize in the middle of the room, Hiro looked around the room as he dropped a large suitcase. Two henchmen nearby charged at him with their katana blades and swiped at him, but Hiro caught the blades in his hands. Purple circuits pulsated underneath his tattoo-designed armor, bending the blades and snatching it from the henchmen's grasp. He dropped them to floor casually as the sound the swords clattered. On the other side of the room, more henchmen pulled out their guns and pointed at Hiro. A red stream glowed from Hiro's skull eyes as he quickly turned to face them, he pointed his palm at them and directed it towards the floor. Through his magnetic gauntlets, he assumed control of all of their weapons and forced them down. "No need for violence here. You can all put your weapons down," Hiro said cockily, as the men tried to pick up their weapons against the magnetic push.

The rest of the room erupted, they took out various weapons and inched their way towards Hiro as they encircled him. "I wouldn't do that. We are simply here for business, gentlemen. You are out-matched, I would calm down if I were you," Abigail spoke with a distorted, dark tone through her mask that reverberated across the room. She appeared as her optic camouflage disengaged, her arms crossed. Suddenly, several small drones ejected from her armor and pointed at each of the thugs throughout the room. They glowed, as they charged up laser systems as a threat.

Yama looked angrily at the two intruders. While he was honestly worried, he could not lose face in front of the other crime bosses, "My brothers, lower your weapons. Let's hear them out." The gruff men looked at each other, reluctantly lowering their weapons and sheathing or holstering them away. "Wise and gracious, we were right to seek you out, Yama," Abigail said with a hint of sarcasm. Hiro and Abigail listened on their communication systems, Freddy whispering as he tried to hold in his excitement, "You guys are absolutely nailing the intimidating villain gig, guys. Keep it up!" Hiro smiled through his mask, then looked towards Yama.

Yama crossed his arms, "What is it that you want from us, strangers?" Hiro thought about the Yakuza and old samurai movies he used to watch with Tadashi, he casually bowed towards Yama, "Yes, where is my manners? My apologies, brothers. My name is Dokuro. This is my partner, Lady Hannya. We have come seeking your help to find folks you have connections with." The thugs looked at each other, all of them still on guard. Abigail stepped forward, "The Fujitas." Yama then looked to his one-eyed, tattooed assistant, asking her, "Your cousins?" The bot-fighting ring leader looked to them, asking, "What do you want with them? And what do we get if we help you?"

Hiro and Abigail looked towards each other, then Hiro responded, his voice indistinguishable from his normal voice, "We need their expertise to break someone out. Let's just say that their skills would be invaluable. If you can arrange a meeting between us, you will be paid quite handsomely." With his magnetic gauntlet, he magnetically pushed the metal suitcase towards the one-eyed woman and remotely opened the case to reveal stacks of cash. Yama smiled as the eye-patched woman raised it up to show the crime boss. Abigail continued, "That's only half of the amount we will give you. After we successfully secure our deal with the Fujitas, you will receive double. What say you, Yama?"

Yama and his assistant looked towards each other, she nodded to him to reassure that she would be able to get a hold of the Fujitas. Yama smiled, "You have a deal, Dokuro, Lady Hannya. How do we get a hold of you for the arrangement?" Hiro chuckled confidently, "Don't worry, we'll get a hold of you. Just make the arrangements, and the rest of the money will be yours." Yama raised an eyebrow, then nodded, "Deal. We'll make the arrangements." In Hiro's helmet, he heard Fred speak, "Good job, guys. Now, just like how I taught you. Seal the deal, villain-style."

Hiro looked towards Yama, his red eyes flashed brightly at him with a sinister glow and the serpent design began to slither throughout the suit's surface, thanks to Hiro's optical camouflage micro-panels. In a sinister voice, the young boy coldly pointed at the crime boss, "Good. I trust you will not disappoint us. Out of courtesy, know that you do not want to fail your side of the deal, Yama." The large crime boss visibly shuddered for a moment, catching himself, "Oh… of course not. We'll get you the Fujitas, Dokuro. Don't worry!" Hiro felt weird playing the bad guy but seeing the crime boss shudder was honestly entertaining with all of the grief this man has caused them. "Classic…" Fred said, satisfied with the results from his villain coaching class he gave Hiro and Abigail.

"Then it is settled. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure joining your meeting. We shall be taking our leave, now," Abigail said as she and Hiro ironically bowed ceremoniously towards them, all of them still with cautious looks of bewilderment. Suddenly, their communications system erupted with the team getting on it, Wasabi screaming, "Umm… guys. We're hearing a lot of police activity heading your way and fast. Wrap it up!" Fred came on, "Hiro, Abby, get out of there now. The police brought something… different. It's kind of cool but I'm not sure what I'm even looking at… They're getting ready to breach!"

Hiro asked, "From where? Which entrance, Fred?" Hiro and Abigail quickly looked towards the door but were surprised to see three holes be punched into the adjacent wall. It appeared like robotic hands had punctured through, they simultaneously threw in cylindrical objects that rolled onto the floor. Realizing what it was, Hiro and Abigail quickly covered their faces as the cylinders burst with a brilliant flash of light and a loud bang rang through their ears. Their heads-up display in their helmets distorted as they attempted to become re-oriented to their surroundings. As their ears rang, they began to hear the distinct yelling, "San Fransokyo PD! Get on the ground!" Abigail hopped back quickly but Hiro was suddenly tackled by something heavy, as his sensors began to re-initiate, he saw that a massive robotic suit was pinning him down. Gas lingered in the air, he noticed that many of the thugs were falling to the ground unconscious.

"Hir- Dokuro!" Abigail yelled after the boy. Hiro's eyes widened as he looked up to see the face of the officer in this exoskeleton, a gruff, bearded man was grinning at him. "'Super-villains,' huh? We'll make short work of you, too. Don't resist. You're under arrest, short stuff," Chief Cruz said as his voice reverberated across the room. _Chief Cruz? What is going on?! This is bad!_ Hiro thought to himself, finally catching himself, he used a combination of his Nano-dex and his magnetic gauntlets to launch the police chief across the room, but the man grabbed at the floors to slow himself to a stop. Abigail charged towards him, "Cruz! I won't let you interfere!" But this was no act, Abigail was truly frustrated with this man. Two more police exoskeletons dashed forward to tackle Abigail, they had enhanced strength but Hiro's own Nano-dex 2.0 remained superior and she was able to meet their force.

Gogo came on, "Hiro, Abby, we're heading over there to assist you." Hiro stopped her, "No, Gogo! We can't afford Big Hero 6 openly clashing with the police. Stay hidden. We'll extract Yama and his assistant, then escape out of here. Don't worry, we got this!" Hiro briefly scanned around the room, looking at the police exoskeletons. _So, this is what he meant when he said the police were getting better equipment…_ Hiro thought to himself, he gritted his teeth. Through enclosed communications, he spoke to Abigail, "We need to protect Yama and his assistant, without them we can't get a hold of the Fujitas." Abigail nodded. As she held off the two police exosuits, she saw Chief Cruz pointing his arm at Hiro. She yelled towards the boy, "Look out!" Chief Cruz shot several small projectiles, Hiro narrowly dodged them. As the projectiles struck the wall, he saw an electrical charge pulsate from them. "Abby, watch out for those things. They're trying to shut down our tech."

She pushed the two exoskeletons away, as they attempted to apprehend her. They aimed their arms at her, so Abigail used her small drones to shoot the projectiles out of the air. The policeman clad in robotic armor dashed forward, attempting to tackle her down. _I know you're just doing your job. But you are really pissing me off,_ Abby thought as she decided to meet the tackling officer, falling on her back as she did a suicide-throw to roll back and launch the officer away behind her. She rolled back on her feet, another officer tackled her from the side, but she tossed him away. "Abby, take Yama and his assistant out of here. I'll hold them off and make my escape," Hiro told her. "You're crazy, kid. You're not taking these guys alone," she objected with concern for the boy.

Hiro kept his gaze on Chief Cruz, "I'm not going to take them on. I'll give us a window of opportunity to get those two out of here. We need them. Besides, I have new toys, remember?" Abby sighed, "Fine… You better be right behind me, kid." She quickly dashed off, busting a hole with her suit. She turned around, picking up the unconscious Yama and his assistant. Were it under different circumstances, it would be humorous to see someone of Yama's larger size to be so casually carried around by someone of smaller stature like a ragdoll. But Abigail's exosuit made it an easy task. "Don't do any reckless, kid," Abigail said as she jumped out of the hole in the wall. The police attempted to follow her, but Hiro tossed them back, using the nano-dex's upper limits of strength enhancement. He stood in front of the hole, blocking their advance.

Chief Cruz stood tall, looking at Hiro across the room, "Your brand of criminals will no longer threaten these streets, not while I am around." Hiro found it ironic to be in this situation, it's not as if he was actually a villain. _Looks like I'll test this suit on you then, 'Uncle Diego…'_ Hiro thought to himself, looking at his hands. With a hand outstretched, he pointed his finger at Chief Cruz as if he was making a 'gun gesture' like all kids do. Chief Cruz chuckled, then charged towards Hiro with enhanced speed by his exosuit. With a distorted voice, Hiro simply uttered, "Bang."

As Chief Cruz charged towards the small armored figure, he soon felt his armor lock up and he fell to the floor. His visor's holographic display suddenly shut down, "What!?" The two other police exosuits charged forward, Hiro quickly pointed his 'gun' at them and they both seized up instantly. It was his newest addition to his arsenal, an "Optically-Channeled Directional Mico-EMP Emitter" designed to temporarily disable electricity-based devices for a short time through a small directional charge. An idea he got after helping develop the mini-EMP devices they used against Momokase. Suddenly, a team of SWAT members rushed in. "And that's my cue, gentlemen. Goodnight," Hiro said as he pointed his fingers towards the ceiling, gesturing a gun and "shooting" into the sky. Then the lights shut off briefly, as the officers turned on their lights to search the room but did not see the skull-faced figure. The lights eventually returned, showing that he was long gone. Chief Cruz' suit began to operate as he and the two other exoskeletons stood up. An officer went to him, "My apologies, sir. We lost them. Our chase vehicles are all disabled."

Chief Cruz rammed a fist through a wall in frustration, but he looked around to see the many crime bosses they were able to round up in the raid. He straightened himself out to regain his composure. "No, I would say we still had a victory here, son. Now, our enemies will know that we are evolving, too," Chief Cruz motioned for his men to continue rounding up the criminals.

* * *

In a warehouse, Yama and his assistant woke up groggily. They immediately saw the horned, demon mask of a dark figure watching over them. They screamed simultaneously. With her demon visage, she looked towards the short dark figure that was looking out the window, "Dokuro, they're finally awake." Yama shook his head, it felt like it was pounding. "What happened…?" Abigail looked down at them, "The police happened. You were lucky we were there, or you would have ended up like the rest. But no matter… Are you still able to hold your end of the bargain, Yama?" The skull-faced figure walked towards them and tossed a metal suitcase in their direction, still containing their cash. Yama was still processing what happened but was startled to see the red glow of the skull mask in his face as Hiro leaned towards him.

"Well… Can you? We don't tolerate setbacks, Yama," Hiro said, his voice still altered to sound intimidating and distorted. Yama shuddered, "Yes… of course, Dokuro. We can still make the arrangements." Abigail quickly snatched the suitcase from them, opening it up and taking out some of the stacks of cash. "Consider that payment for our services rendered to you. You'd be locked up right now, were it not for our protection. Any problems with that?" she said as she knelt down besides the two criminals. They quickly shook their heads, Yama's assistant spoke up, "Not at all, Lady Hannya. It's only fair…"

"Good. Then it's settled then. We'll be seeing you shortly. Get us the Fujitas," Abigail said as she waved them off. Hiro looked towards them, the eyes on his mask beaming red, "Have a safe trip home, stay out of trouble until then." The short figure pointed towards the ceiling, then the whole warehouse went dark in an instant. When the lights came back on shortly, the two "villains" were gone.


	26. The Vanished Villains

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 26: The Vanished Villains**

In the private corporate gym room at Krei Tech Industries, the sound of slamming could be heard in the cushioned mat room. Attempting to catch his breath, Hiro stepped forward to grip onto the stiff material on the elbow and lapel of Abigail's gi. He rapidly stepped his right leg past her right thigh as he tried to offset her balance with his hands, preparing to sweep her off her feet. Abigail quickly turned into the young boy, lifting her knee and leg up as she fell backwards. "Whoa!" Hiro yelled as he was launched towards the ground, slapping the floor and displacing his legs to execute an ukemi fall and lessen the impact of his landing.

Abigail stood up and stretched her hand out to help the young boy back up. "You have the technical points of the 'O-Soto-Gari' throw, but you are telegraphing your movements too much. It needs to flow a bit better, maybe offset my balance another way before you go for it," Abby told him as she helped him up. Hiro dusted himself off and fixed his belt on his gi, "What did you counter me with that time?" Abby laughed, "That's 'Ura-Nage,' or the 'rear throw.' Russian Sambo guys like to call that the 'chair throw.' Since you lift them off with your knee and it's like they are sitting on a falling chair." Hiro laughed as he rubbed his back, "Yeah, sure felt like I fell off of chair." Hiro thought about it, having fallen off of a chair multiple times whenever he fell asleep on one at the garage only to wake up on the floor.

Abby laughed, "Well, you can't always rely on your strength, remember? You may have the nano-dex, Baymax or the crew, but what if you cannot rely on any of those? It will all fall back on your brains, your technique and physicality. And you're a really small guy, so let's go with technique and brains." Suddenly, Hiro dashed towards Abigail, grabbing her the outside of her palm and twisting her hand as he placed his hand along her upper arm to perform a standing arm lock. With her arm extended, Abby was forced to hinge downward under his control. Hiro smirked, "I think I got enough strength, along with technique and plenty of brains." Abigail smiled, widening her base as she lunged her leg to step towards Hiro. She stepped just in the right spot between his feet, pushing him away as he fell on his back after losing his balance. He yelped, "What?!"

Abigail laughed as she outstretched her hand again, the young boy pouted at her. "Pretty good technique, kid. But there is almost always some way to disrupt your opponent's balance and counter their actions," Abby said, picking him up again. She walked to a seat and grabbed a bottle of water on top of it, throwing it at the young boy. Hiro caught it and drank, not noticing a towel that flew towards him and landing on over his even messier hair. "Hey!" he yelled underneath the towel.

"Good training session today, kid. You might just catch up to Tadashi if you keep practicing like this," Abigail remarked as she wiped her head with a towel. Removing the towel off of his head, Hiro smiled lightly, "Yeah. That might take quite a while…" Hiro remembered how Tadashi would compete at Judo and Jiu-Jitsu competitions, having done quite well in some of them. But it was his work ethic and resolve to never give up, no matter how many times he was thrown or submitted, that Hiro admired. He supposed that this practice reflected in how Tadashi never gave up no matter how many failed trials he experienced coding Baymax.

Abigail looked to the young boy, "Hey. Don't discount yourself, kid. Just takes time and effort. You haven't done this in a while. But I can tell that Tadashi taught you well, you pick up on the movements quickly. It's no wonder you were able to code Baymax's fighting algorithms so well." Hiro nodded graciously, continuing to finish the rest of his water bottle. Abby continued, "But with the police now actively becoming a threat to us, we will have to be more capable of countering them. Especially with more control, we're not trying to hurt these folks after all. But we certainly can't allow them to apprehend us. Your unarmed skills will need to continually improve."

It's true that Hiro, Abigail and even Gogo have been training together at times in martial arts. But with their current situation facing Chief Cruz and his high-tech police force, they were now ramping up their training. Hiro sighed, "Yeah. I've been doing a little deep diving into San Fransokyo PD's files. Seems that the folks we faced with Chief Cruz were members of a newly-formed high-tech police unit, calling themselves 'Task Force _Tantō._' Its members are composed of active SWAT members. Their new equipment is what is worrisome. Those were just a first generation of prototypes we faced. Those powered exosuits will be mass-produced for a larger squad, apparently created for the express purpose of fighting criminals and… us. They're trying to design a means for disabling or countering our tech."

Abby scoffed, "Chief Cruz is really becoming quite the obstacle for us everywhere we turn. Seems he's not interested in always remaining behind the desk, either." Hiro looked down, thinking about his encounter with the police chief at the Yakuza meeting. This development worried the boy, he wondered when Chief Cruz would actively hunt Big Hero 6. He knew that they would need to become even more cautious with their identities and how they move about between their hero and civilian lives. If the Big Hero 6 faced them, they would only be able to evade Task Force Tantō and couldn't afford to openly engage them. They were doing what they thought was right and he did not want to fight them, but Hiro was not going to stop doing what he set out to do as a member of Big Hero 6.

Suddenly, both of their phones pinged with text messages. Abigail picked her phone up, "Well, seems like our 'friends' pulled through. Go wash up and change into your cute little skull-face suit, 'Dokuro.' Looks like we have a rendezvous with my father's former 'work colleagues.'" Hiro rolled his eyes, taking his towel and walking towards the men's locker room. He yelled towards Abigail, "It's not cute! I terrified hardened criminals, you know!"

* * *

On the outskirts of San Fransokyo, at an abandoned warehouse on the eastern side of the harbors, Hiro, Abigail and the gang set themselves up for the meeting with the Fujitas. Freddy snuck up in his camouflaged 'Fredmeleon' suit, climbing the building with his upgraded adhesive hands and feet that allowed him to easily scale vertically. "'Fredmeleon' is getting into position," he whispered, as he made his way towards a rooftop window. Fred looked inside, seeing a large man in a blue tracksuit and the eye-patch wearing ring leader.

"Guys, I can only see Yama and his assistant. No other one-eyed crazy ladies here," Freddy remarked as he observed from the rooftop window peering into the abandoned warehouse. "Hmm… that's fine, Fred. Alright guys, we'll initiate contact," Hiro said as he and Abigail walked through the front door of the warehouse, looking at Yama and his assistant sitting in the middle. "We will be ready for any trouble, good luck," Gogo said on the comms. "Thanks, Gogo," Hiro responded with a brief smile, his face now becoming serious as he tried to assume his villainous persona.

"So, where are they? I told you, I don't like disappointments. You better not be trying to double-cross us, Yama," Hiro spoke ominously, Yama gulped as sweat trickled down his face. "No, of course not, Dokuro. They are here," he said nervously. Abigail stepped forward, her voice reverberating through her mask, "Really? I only see you two. What games are you playing here?"

They suddenly heard a voice that seemed to be emanating from the middle of the warehouse, "The same kind of games you two like to play, apparently." Suddenly, three females appeared as they unveiled themselves from underneath flexible display cloaking, the now visible material retracting underneath their long kimono sleeves. The three young women in colorful kimonos brandished their weapons, looking at Abigail and Hiro with arrogant grins. "The Fujitas, I presume?" Abigail stepped forward.

They all bowed simultaneously towards Hiro and Abigail, the blonde-haired member spoke for them, "That is right. We are the Fujitas, at your service. For the right price, of course." The three began to walk confidently towards Hiro and Abigail, as Hiro looked at their apparent leader, he was surprised that she appeared to be younger than the others. Most likely being only seventeen. Wearing a red-and-peach colored kimono, she slung her spiked ball to her back as it remained suspended by a coil of metal chains in her hand. She walked up to Hiro, only being slightly taller than young boy. The young girl looked down at him, observing his armor and stature, deducing that he was probably similar in age. She smirked, "Adorable outfit, you must be a little cutie underneath that mask."

"What…?! Ahem," Hiro exclaimed as he got flustered, clearing his throat. He was glad that his voice was being distorted regardless of if he tried to change his voice or not, unlike when he was acting as "Captain Cutie." Abigail chuckled, stepping forward, "That's my partner-in-crime, Dokuro. I am Lady Hannya. It's our pleasure to finally meet you, Fujitas." The young leader of the crime trio looked to them, "My name is Akane. I am the leader of the Fujitas, don't let my appearance fool you. I may be the youngest, but I am the smartest and most dangerous among us."

The other sisters simply scoffed and rolled their eyes. Akane continued, "These are my sisters." She pointed towards the tallest member, clad in an emerald-green kimono and brandishing a dark-brown umbrella, Akane introduced her, "That is Miss Midori." Miss Midori merely grunted as she nodded ominously towards them and glared at them with her one eye. Then she pointed at the middle sister, who was wearing a light blue kimono and fanning herself with a metallic fan, "That is Fujiko."

Fujiko waved enthusiastically towards Abigail and Hiro, "How exciting! You guys look like a dangerous bunch! I hope that means you have an entertaining job for us!?" Abigail spoked securely to her combat A.I., "ODIN, record and analyze the combat capabilities of the Fujitas…" With various displays overlaying the criminal team and their equipment, ODIN responded, "/Analyzing, my lady./" Abigail looked at them, _Well, don't they seem like a colorful bunch._

Hiro cleared his throat, catching his "villainous" composure, "That's right. We do have a job for you all… Yokai… Robert Callaghan. We need your expertise to break him out of prison." The Fujita's faces all quickly grimaced in anger. The tall sister, Miss Midori, rapidly closed her umbrella and revealed a graphene-tipped spear that lowered towards Hiro. Abigail instantly unsheathed her graphene katana, her "keepsake" from Momokase. But Hiro simply waved his hand towards her to calm her down, simply staring at the spear aimed at him. Abigail remained ready to protect Hiro, the rest of the Big Hero 6 team staged a distance away were ready to breach into the warehouse. Miss Midori yelled, "And why would we break out that traitorous monster?!"

Hiro looked to the side of the empty warehouse, casually snapping his finger as three suitcases began to materialize behind flexible display cloaks. He nonchalantly raised his hand, using his magnetic gauntlet to attract them towards him and he manipulated the suitcases in their direction. They floated and landed in front of the three sisters, opening up to reveal stacks of cash. Hiro smirked through his skull helmet, casually nudging the spear away from his face, "How about that for starters?"

Akane looked towards the green kimono-dressed member, nodding towards her. Miss Midori lifted her umbrella-disguised spear, resting its point along the floor as she scoffed. Akane's eyebrow lifted with curiosity, but the other sisters remained serious. Akane looked at the full suitcases of cash that appeared before them, "That was quite the magic trick. We're listening. But we're no fans of that man, so you may want to tread lightly." Hiro chuckled lightly, "I assure you, ladies. I am no fan of his, as well. Simply that he owes us, and we intend to make certain that he repays us in kind."

"Oh? Seems that ruthless old man likes to make many 'friends,' huh?" Fujiko mused, closing her metal fan sharply. Hiro continued, "I suppose you can say that. Because of him, I lost something… invaluable to me. He will pay for his actions, but not in a prison cell…" Abigail looked towards Hiro, she understood that he was still processing anger and pain towards her father. So, his words seemed rather genuine, not part of an act here.

"Then the money is really just an appetizer. We want the same thing then. He owes us, too. To say the least. That man betrayed us… Before he was to use that machine to destroy Krei Tech, we were supposed to rob Alistair Krei dry. But that never happened… that man tossed us aside to the police like we were loose ends for his grander schemes. We will retrieve him for you, only on the condition that we will also be able to use him to finish what he started with Krei Tech and pay us what was rightfully ours," Akane said as she gripped her chains menacingly.

Hiro and Abigail looked towards each other for a moment. To Hiro's surprise, Abigail stepped forward without hesitation, "Deal. Help us extract him out of his prison and we will negotiate how we will make him repay us." The Fujita sisters all grinned sinisterly towards each other, a conniving look surfacing on their faces. Akane grinned, "Good. Fun times will be had by all, then. I already have a plan of attack in mind. That prison is secure, but that won't be a problem for me and my sisters. How will we coordinate with you two, so we can execute our 'prison break party?'"

Hiro pointed towards Yama, who shuddered for a moment. Suddenly, the crime boss heard his phone chatter electronically and pulled it out of his pocket. He looked at the screen, noticing it distort as the image of a skull took over. Thanks to his enhanced Core Cyber-Network linked to his neurotransmitter and remote systems specially designed within the Dokuro suit, Hiro was able to hack into Yama's personal phone.

Hiro mused, "Yama will be our middle man. I will contact you through him. Have your plan finalized within the week. We'll meet then." Yama stared at his phone incredulously. The Fujitas laughed at him, Akane smiled as she became more impressed with the skull-faced villain, "Well, aren't you quite the sly fox. Dangerous and smart. I'm even more curious to see how you look behind the mask, 'Mr. Skull-Face.' I think I might be falling in love with you."

Beneath the mask, Hiro was flustered but quickly shuddered, finding the Fujitas disturbing but especially their young leader, Akane. There certainly was something about them that seemed like they were truly criminally insane, he found it deeply unsettling. "Seems like you have another admirer, kid. Maybe she'll make fanfiction about 'The Misadventures of Mr. Skull-Face?'" Abby quipped on their secured comms. Fred chimed in, "I would read that!" Hiro sighed, "Please, not again… Let's stay on task, guys." The young boy wondered why he attracted embarrassingly unwanted attention, both as a hero and as a "villain." First, Karmi with "Captain Cutie" and now this criminal leader, Akane, with "Dokuro."

They were able to negotiate a partnership, there wasn't much more to do. He recomposed himself as his Dokuro persona, casually turning around towards the door, "We're done here." Hiro raised a hand and snapped his finger, cuing another suitcase of money to appear next to Yama from deactivated flexible display cloaking. He spoke across the warehouse, "Your payment. As promised, 'Little Yama.'" Yama smiled as he quickly grabbed the suitcase and admired its contents. With her one visible eye, Yama's assistant rolled her eye, seeing her boss constantly being humiliated by Dokuro.

Walking away, Hiro casually waved without looking back, "Until next time, Fujitas." Abigail followed besides the young boy and casually saluted them goodbye, the two activated their optical camouflage micro-panels as they became invisible to the naked eye. They faded away, as the Fujitas looked on. "How cold… He ignored my confession of love…" Akane's face was shocked, her mouth agape. Fujiko nudged her, "Looks like you scared off another boy, little sis." Akane suddenly grinned deviously with a sparkle in her eyes, "I think I found my 'Mr. Perfect!'"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, finally get to introduce my take on the deleted characters, the Fujitas. The movie's "vanished villains." From just the images of their concept art, it looked like they were an unstable bunch. They are another aspect I hope that the canon series will be able to bring them into the main storyline somehow. Just by their designs, they look like they would have wild personalities and could be another group of villains for the Big Hero 6 team to deal with. Thanks again for reading, hope you are enjoying it. Please stay tuned, follow or leave a review. It always helps me to hopefully refine the story for your entertainment. Thank you for reading!**


	27. Classic Hiro Fake-Out

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 27: Classic Hiro Fake-Out**

Professor Callaghan stared at the ceiling of his prison cell, it had been quite some time since the last time he was visited by Abigail or Grace. He knew that they were having a lot of trouble trying to get him released for their special project, but this was to be expected. In fact, to be honest, he did not think it would even be possible. He was considered to be a dangerous criminal and a threat to society. Callaghan could hear the unlocking of several mechanically and electronically locked doors leading towards his cell, sat up hoping it would be Abigail or Granville coming to visit him.

As the door opened, he only saw a dark blue blazer and professional attire, seeing the blonde hair from afar and immediately realizing that it was his former colleague… and target. "Alistair… what do you want?" Callaghan spoke with both disdain and disappointment. "Robert… I understand I am probably the last person you would want to see… But I am working with Abigail for your release and...," Krei said, trying to keep himself composed.

It is true, Callaghan did not want to even see this man. He was not certain what to make of him, but there was still lingering hatred towards him. Surely, the professor had to take responsibility for his actions and had to consider that it was wrong of him to go after Krei's life and all that he had. But Callaghan still had to wonder if Krei had not been so reckless in the first place, Abigail would not have been lost for so long… And he would not have been driven to take such lengths that would cost Tadashi his life.

"I know that. But what the hell are you doing here? What do we possibly have to talk about?" Callaghan stood from his bed with sharp hostility, walking quickly towards the transparent wall and stared fiercely at Krei. Alistair raised his hands disarmingly, "Robert, I understand how you must still feel towards me. I just… wanted to apologize for my part in all of this. It may not be much, but I am sorry. I am helping Abigail because I owe it to her, but I am trying to make sure this goes well because I also… owe it to you, too. I have been reckless and arrogant in the past, but I never meant to hurt you or Abigail. I want to make this right to the both of you."

Callaghan gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, "'Reckless?' 'Arrogant?' That's an understatement, Alistair. My Abigail would have never been lost in the first place, had it not been for you!" He took a breath, "But I'm no better… I wanted to take your life and everything you had. My hatred for you… clouded me. Perhaps, had I just recreated Silent Sparrow to search for Abigail, I could have truly seen if she was gone or not."

Alistair shook his head, "Robert, you were right to be angry. Not to say that you should have gone for my life! Just that, we didn't know the nature of the other side of Silent Sparrow. We couldn't have known that Abigail would remain there in suspended animation."

Callaghan tried to compose himself, he turned himself away from Krei, "Look, Alistair. I don't know... if I will come to forgive you. But... I do have to thank you for supporting my Abigail in helping her heal. There is no denying that I endangered the public when I tried to kill you and destroy your company. There's no way even you can circumvent the law to get me out." Krei smiled, "Trust in your daughter and Hiro, Robert. They are very bright and determined."

Professor Callaghan raised an eyebrow, "But what can they possibly-" Suddenly, the lights flickered as the entrance to the prison cell unlocked. In the darkness, Callaghan and Krei could see two red glowing eyes. The lights turned on, revealing a skull-faced figure and a familiar painted face that Callaghan did not want to see again.

"Good evening, 'Professor Yokai.' Happy to see us again?" Akane said with threatening sarcasm. Although startled, Callaghan simply scowled, "Hardly. Still bitter, little girl? Shouldn't you be used to cutthroat business in your world?" Dokuro spoke with a disembodied voice, "Robert Callaghan. You're coming with us. Come peacefully or resist, your choice."

Callaghan thought about Abigail, _I can't let myself get captured by these fools._ He quickly grabbed his chair and threw it towards them, attempting to duck around. Callaghan swung his fist towards the skull mask, but Hiro bypassed the punch, catching his wrist to force him into an armlock. "Smooth moves! You're getting dreamier by the minute, Mr. Skull Face," Akane said as she skipped along and put a tranquilizer needle into Callaghan's neck.

Hiro shuddered, "Let's stay on task." Akane laughed, "Playing hard to get, I see! Ok, fine. We are working right now, after all." Callaghan continued to struggle, he clutched onto Hiro's armor as he fought the effects of the drugs, "I can't let myself… Abby… can't let her down…" Akane attempted to swing and knock out Callaghan, "Shut up and go to sleep already, old man!" Hiro caught her and protected Professor Callaghan, "I told you. No harm to him or any of the guards. Got it?" Akane pouted, "How boring! But fine!"

Krei watched on as Professor Callaghan became sedated, as he attempted to run towards the door, "Guards! Help me! And Callaghan too, of course!" He suddenly felt his arm twist behind him as he became restrained by an invisible force, Fujiko materialized under her flexible display cloak. She pushed him towards the floor, Alistair's face smooshed into the ground. Fujiko mused, "Looks like we get a two-for-one deal." Alistair yelped with pain, "Ok! Ok! I won't resist, just not so hard, please. My face doesn't belong on the floor!"

The door opened, several guards poured out as they laid out along the floor, unconscious. A destroyed buddy guard could be seen floating as if it were hanging in mid-air. The apparition of Miss Midori flickered on and off, finally fully revealing her as she stood beside many unconscious correctional officers and destroyed buddy guard drones. Miss Midori let go of the destroyed buddy guard and kicked it aside. Fujiko laughed at Krei, "You called for guards, right? There you go! Guess they were sleeping on the job. Tsk. Tsk."

Then the wall suddenly burst into a cloud of debris, a large truck appeared and pulled forward to reveal the outside of the prison building. A truck bed flowed down, showing fifteen small vehicles parked along the platform. Abigail stepped out of the truck, she yelled to the Fujitas and Hiro, "Delivery!" The demon-masked villainess walked next to her partner-in-crime.

Hiro raised his forearm, a holographic map displayed showing several blips moving in their direction. The skull-faced villain nodded towards the Fujitas, "Hmmm. Task Force Tantō on the move… Lady Hannya and I will distract Chief Cruz and his team. You ladies get to work. We'll see you at the rendezvous point. Don't get caught. But most importantly, don't lose the package or be late."

The Fujitas dragged the unconscious Callaghan and the scowling Alistair Krei towards the small escape vehicles. Abigail looked on at her father, making sure that the Fujitas do not mistreat or mishandle him. Krei jerked back, "Are those Go karts? Really? I am not getting on that thing!"

They placed Callaghan and Krei into the small vehicle, Krei looked towards Callaghan, "Robert! Wake up! They're taking us away!" Fujiko placed a tranquilizer needle into Krei's neck, "Well, now it's your time to take a nap, Mr. Krei!" Krei unsteadily swayed his head, "You won't get away… with this…darn, kids…"

Akane smiled deviously towards Hiro and Abigail, "Don't worry, we're professionals. You guys do your thing, we'll see you at the meet up spot. And Mr. Skull-Face, do be careful. I promise you. I'll personally break you out if you get caught!" Hiro canted his head, "Oh. Um… Right… Thanks… Ahem. Got to go now. Don't disappoint me, Fujitas." Hiro and Abigail hopped onto the rooftop, leaving the Fujitas to execute their escape plan.

Hauling the unconscious bodies of the correctional officers onto the other automated escape vehicles, they placed flexible display cloaks on the unconscious guards. Akane smiled, pulling out a device that displayed a map of the city, "Let's get this party started! Time for a night on the town, ladies!"

* * *

Hiro and Abigail stood on the prison rooftop, several police cars were heading their way. Hiro overheard the police radio chatter, "Suspects have kidnapped Robert Callaghan and Alistair Krei. Apprehend suspects and gain custody of them." Suddenly, beneath them several go karts zipped by in different directions throughout the city. In each small escape vehicle, multiple copies of Robert Callaghan and Alistair Krei could be seen.

Hiro hacked the police radio communications, speaking directly to them, "If you can find the real one, that is." Hiro aimed his fingers at the police chase vehicles, making the gesture of a gun. He spoke on their system again, "Or if you can even chase after them." Using his directional micro-EMP emitter, the police vehicles began to shut down before they could chase after the decoys and the real vehicle containing Callaghan and Krei.

Chief Cruz came onto the net, "Mobilize more units to chase those vehicles, one of those has the real Robert Callaghan and Alistair Krei! Men, get ready to deploy!" Seeing the incoming heavily armed police truck that was undoubtedly transporting Chief Cruz' Task Force Tantō and, of course, the police chief himself.

They nodded towards each other, ready for their next encounter with them. Hiro pointed at the truck, causing it to shut down. The compartments of the truck began to tear open, three armored exosuits leaped out of the truck and sprinted towards the prison. Once again, Hiro pointed his finger at them, but the armored police exosuits continued towards them.

Chief Cruz spoke on the comms, "I know you can hear me. We won't be going down so easily, this time." Hiro observed their exosuits, noting that they were slightly upgraded. _Faraday shielding? Good call,_ Hiro remarked to himself, realizing that they were adapting themselves. Hiro smirked, continuing to intrude their communications net, "Good, this was getting a little too easy." Chief Cruz and his two other armored officers sprang loaded their legs and leapt onto the roof of the prison, Cruz responded, "You'll wish it were easy, now that we are here, 'super-villains.'"

Through their masks, Hiro and Abigail smiled, ready for another round against them. Abby looked towards Hiro, "Let me take Cruz, you had him last time!" As the police exosuits charged towards them, the skull-faced villain simply shrugged, "Be my guest." Abby grinned, "It's our job to keep them away from the Fujitas and make them fail to retrieve my father, right? I'll relish any opportunity to knock Cruz a few pegs down."

Chief Cruz and his teammates launched electrical darts towards them, the two split up as they evaded the incoming projectiles. Hiro chuckled, "Careful now, you're sounding a lot like an actual 'super-villain,' Abby." Abigail deployed her array of laser drones, they spread out quickly and shot at the stream of incoming electrical darts. She noticed Chief Cruz' armored exoskeleton sprint in Hiro's direction, "Hey! Hey! He's going after you, switch places! I haven't fought him yet!"

Hiro lowered himself in a fighting stance, "Um… I don't think he's going to accommodate our fight match-up, Abby. I think they want a rematch with us." Abby looked towards the other two armored officers, one of them suddenly burst forward as an air burst blasted behind them. She quickly noted that their armors were now upgraded with short-burst thrusters, she sighed in frustration, "I am tired of you two!"

Abby's drones fired at the furthest exosuit as she ignited her thrusters forward to meet the incoming officer. With a flying knee, she impacted into his chest as she grasped his arms that attempted to catch her. They clattered loudly as they crashed into each other and proceeded to roll onto the ground. Despite his armor, the officer lost his wind from being struck in the chest. Standing atop the officer, Abby looked up towards the other powered exosuit now charging her, she yelled, "C'mon, let's get this over with!"

On the other side of the prison rooftop, Chief Cruz burst forward with his thrusters and leapt into the air. He quickly closed the distance between him and Hiro, he extended his fist to perform a "superman punch" but Hiro bobbed to the side to avoid it. Suddenly, Chief Cruz twisted his body in mid-air and sharply rotated for a follow-up elbow that knocked into Hiro's skull-faced helmet.

Hiro's vision darkened for a moment and his visor display flickered, feeling himself fall hard on the floor. He suddenly felt sharp pain in his abdomen as Chief Cruz swiftly kicked him further across the rooftop. He braced himself as he slid along. "Hi- Hir-..o!" the young boy could hear the distorted voice of Abigail, disoriented from the momentary shock from Cruz' attack.

His visor came back online, seeing at a distance that Abigail was constantly fighting back the two other officers who were aggressively engaging her up close. She was trying to make her way to him, but they were stopping her. She yelled for him, "Hiro! You need to get up!"

The young boy then realized that Chief Cruz was above him in mid-air and falling quickly towards him. Before Hiro could react, Chief Cruz landed on top of him. Mounting him, the police chief pinned Hiro down with one arm on his chest as he prepared to strike him with a specialized device in his hand. Hiro's eyes zeroed on the device, surmising that it was probably a device to disable his electronic systems. Hiro felt himself panic and he nearly froze.

* * *

As if time slowed, Hiro had a flashback to a memory when he was a young kid. He and Aunt Cass were spectating one of Tadashi's competition matches in a Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Tadashi's opponent was slightly larger but still within Tadashi's weight class, and he was notably more aggressive.

It was one of Tadashi's earliest tournaments in his martial arts career. As Hiro watched his brother grapple his opponent, Tadashi suddenly found himself under his opponent's mount. Tadashi reacted quickly, getting out of his opponent's mount and their attempts to wrap their legs around him in a guard position, ultimately moving to submit his opponent.

It was one of Tadashi's earliest defining moments in his fighting career. That same day, when Hiro asked him about the match, Tadashi simply said, "I wasn't going to let him beat me, even if he was more aggressive and bigger. You might find yourself in a scary position. But you choose how you respond and react. I wasn't going to give up. Just have to fight with your heart and your brains."

* * *

Returning back to the present, Hiro was not going to let Chief Cruz get him. Hiro yelled as he trapped one of Cruz' legs with his heel, grasping the arm that was pinning him down. The young boy lifted his hips rapidly to push Chief Cruz off to the side as they rolled together. Chief Cruz attempted to lock his legs around Hiro's waist, but the boy slipped past him and Hiro was able to quickly gain distance away from the police chief. "You have fight in you, I'll give you that," Chief Cruz said as he got up and resumed his fighting stance.

Hiro wiped his chest and shook his head, feeling less dizzy from when he first got hit. He looked towards the police chief, the boy mused, "Not very policeman-like, where was the use of self-restraint?" Chief Cruz scoffed, "Please. I know you can take much more with that armor of yours. You might be small, but I'm not going to take you lightly. It's going to be a pleasure taking you in."

The police chief prepared the device in his hand, staring at Hiro with determined eyes. The young boy eased his breathing and calmed himself, "Guess I should feel honored? Hate to break it to you, Chief. You're not taking any of us in. You should've stayed home today, old man."

Chief Cruz shifted himself to inch closer towards his opponent, then suddenly burst forward as he thrust his palm towards Hiro. The device was moving inbound directly for Hiro's chest. But at the right moment, Hiro side stepped to deflect Cruz' palm by grabbing his wrist and used his other hand to hinge Cruz' arm inward. In a flowing movement, Hiro redirected Chief Cruz to press his own device into himself. Chief Cruz grunted, as his body quickly locked up and he was unable to move his body as the armor seized up. He gritted his teeth towards the small skull-faced figure, "Why you little…"

Hiro scanned Chief Cruz, noting that his systems were short-circuited and would no longer be functional. "Looks like you're not able to fight anymore, Chief. Thank you for playing, but I must be taking my leave," Hiro mockingly saluted Chief Cruz, as he ran towards Abigail. Suddenly, Hiro saw something in his periphery coursing towards him, forcing the boy to roll away as he dodged another officer in a powered exosuit, noting that this was a new one.

The officer yelled, "Chief! Tantō 21 is here to assist!" Chief Cruz yelled within his locked armor, "Took you long enough, Bravo Team!" Abigail looked up, having incapacitated her two opponents with their own electrical needles. She remarked, "Looks like we have some latecomers to the party." Hiro and Abigail regrouped, looking at the new arrivals from Task Force Tantō.

"This must be the second half of their squad. I didn't think they had already completed another team of exosuits. Probably fresh prototypes with that new car scent," Hiro mused as he pulled up a holographic map showing the various escape vehicles moving throughout the city thanks to the Fujitas.

Abigail looked to Hiro, "Go. We weren't expecting more company. But you need to link up with the Fujitas. Meet with the gang and secure my dad and Alistair. I'll take these guys on and keep them out of play." The young boy looked towards Abigail, then nodded, "Alright, Abby. Be careful. Oh. And next time… Chief Cruz is yours. That hurt a bit." Abigail chuckled, "Better be! But, I'll admit, you did a great job handling him. Now, get out of here, kid."

"Alright, alright," Hiro shrugged as his armor activated its optical camouflage micro-panels, causing him to fade along with his surroundings. "You're not getting away!" the Bravo Team Leader yelled as his team rushed forward. Abigail accelerated her thrusters to dash towards them, she yelled back, "Spoiler alert! He already did! Don't worry, I'll be tonight's entertainment for this 'after-party!'"

* * *

Riding atop Baymax, Honey Lemon pulled out her chem-purse, prompting the device to extend a longer barrel that she grasped. "I'm going to have to thank Hiro more for making me this cute new purse!" Honey Lemon mused happily as her visor lit up with a cartoony rabbit insignia, seeing crosshairs of wherever she aimed. She directed her chem-purse cannon towards the speeding decoy vehicles carrying the unconscious correctional officers that were disguised as Alistair Krei and Professor Callaghan. Firing several chem-balls, she was able to successfully slow down and stop some of the automated go-kart styled vehicles as they weaved throughout the city.

As Baymax maneuvered in between the city's buildings, Honey Lemon continued to look out for the decoy vehicles that were causing quite the commotion in the city along with police chase vehicles trailing behind them. As she scanned the area, she heard Hiro's voice come up on their team comms, "Honey Lemon! Akane is using an automated program to control those decoy vehicles. It's still dangerous for civilians and those unconscious guards, you and Baymax will need to continue stopping them in their tracks. I'm sending an updated map of the decoy vehicles' current locations in real-time."

Honey Lemon observed the map display on her visor, she tapped on Baymax's back. Baymax nodded as he updated his scan and maneuvered towards the next decoy vehicle, "/Proceeding to the next vehicle containing the fake Alistair Krei and Professor Callaghan./"

Honey Lemon responded on the comms, "You got it, Hiro! Did you guys stop Chief Cruz?" Hiro laughed uneasily, "Yeah, well… Sort of. There's more of them but Abigail is handling them. I'm moving towards the meet up location for 'phase two' of the plan. Are the others in place?"

The other Big Hero 6 team members checked in, starting with Gogo, who spoke sarcastically "In place, boy genius. We're ready to save our 'boss.'" Fred chimed in, "Good, Gogo. Way to get into character. I feel like I should be wearing a black suit and shades, you know? That's how super-rich people usually have their bodyguards look like, right? I would think Mr. Krei likes his security team looking extra fly."

Next, Wasabi came on as he sighed, "Fred, it's night time. You don't need shades… As nice as a tuxedo suit would be, I think this armor is right for the job. But yes, Hiro. We're ready and waiting. The operation is going just as planned, little man."

* * *

Across the city, Hiro was riding atop Skymax, noting that he was not as terrified as the first time he had to ride Skymax to the lighthouse during the "countdown to catastrophe" incident. They were both underneath optical camouflage as they blended with the night sky. The boy spoke to his team, "Great! Be on your toes, these ladies are dangerous." The team collectively acknowledged.

Skymax flew the young boy up north. Hiro knew exactly where the real Professor Callaghan and Krei were, having a tracker on them just in case the Fujitas deviated from their plan. But it appeared that they were on course to the meet up spot. The boy scanned around the vehicle, noting that the cloaked Fujitas were personally escorting it using their high-powered roller skates to move next to it.

At a distance, he could see that there were still police squad cars that were continuing to chase the actual vehicle and moving towards their meet up spot, a hidden location past Torii Gate Bridge and into Muirahara Woods. Hiro pointed his finger towards the police vehicles, with no need to act like a villain. The young boy frowned, "Sorry. This must be quite the night for you fellows, you're just doing your jobs. But I can't let you interfere."

The police vehicles began to shut down as they swerved away towards a grinding halt. Hiro looked towards the rendezvous location with determined eyes, tapping on Skymax to speed past the bright-orange Torii Gate Bridge, "Let's go, buddy. Let's finish this."

Touching down at a forested area, Hiro tapped on Skymax one more time, "Thanks, Skymax. I'm good here." He hopped down and looked off towards the road, awaiting the arrival of the Fujitas. Skymax waved goodbye and flew off in the distance. He heard the small motor of the escape vehicle closing in as it sped through the forested road.

As it got closer it began to slow down and halted to a complete stop. Hiro deactivated his optical camouflage, materializing in front of the vehicle as he looked at the unconscious Professor Callaghan and Alistair Krei sitting in it. Relieved that they were still ok. He looked up, seeing the Fujitas appear as they all skid along the floor with their roller skates to a smooth stop.

"Right on time. I'm impressed, ladies," Hiro mused through his distorted, electronic voice. Fujiko's face twisted with slight indignation as if she took offense, "Was there ever any doubt, 'Skull Boy?'" The boy clad in serpent-designed armor simply shrugged, he snapped his finger and pointed towards another three sets of suitcases filled with the Fujitas' payment. He walked towards the vehicle, "At any rate, leave Robert Callaghan and Alistair Krei with me. I have a secure location to keep them until we conduct our next order of business. We'll need to split up for now, as I planned."

The Fujitas looked at each other, then simultaneously cloaked themselves to disappear into the background. Then, a chain projected out towards Hiro as several tranquilizer needles shot at the boy. Using his magnetic gauntlets, Hiro redirected the chain away before it could enwrap him and suspended the needles in mid-air. He released the needles to the ground. With his altered voice, he asked with seriousness, "What's the meaning of this?"

Akane's voice could be heard, "Sorry, my love. Something never sat well with us with your plan. You wanted us to relinquish our prize so you could hide them away to a hidden location that even we won't know of. Whose to say that you wouldn't simply take them all to yourself and leave us to the wind as you reap all of the benefits? We're not taking our chances, not again. We hold all the cards now and we're not going to lose it while we have it all. We're seizing them all for ourselves. It's a shame, it was a thrill to partner up with you. But we outnumber you. Surrender and we won't hurt you, I promise."

Hiro shrugged, "Well, that's sweet of you... But no. As I told Yama, I don't take kindly to those who double-cross me. Seems you all have developed trust issues thanks to the professor. This changes little. Those two are coming with me." When Hiro planned this operation, he accounted for the possibility that they would try to betray him. In fact, Hiro intentionally seeded doubt into their villainous partnership by sowing just enough tension for them to be suspicious. It gave him the opportunity to potentially help seize them and their captives himself.

The skull-faced boy quickly pointed his fingers out in the direction they were at, sending micro-EMP charges towards them and disabling their flexible display cloaks. The Fujitas materialized, they scowled as they brandished their weapons towards him. Fujiko opened her two fans, revealing more sedative needles along its edge, "Time for a nap, 'Skull Boy.'" As her roller skates screeched, Fujiko rapidly sped towards Hiro but she was abruptly intercepted by the silver streak of another armored individual.

Fujiko rapidly disengaged and gained some distance, trying to figure out what had clashed with her. She then saw a figure land in the middle of the road, assuming a rather exaggerated super-hero style fighting stance. Fujiko noted seeing that the armored individual had a distinct "K" logo on it. She asked curiously, "Another one of Krei Tech's goons?"

The newly-arrived powered exoskeleton laughed with fists righteously planted on his waist, responding, "That is 'Mr. Professional Security Goon' to you, little missy. We don't get paid the big bucks just to be called a regular goon, you know. Hand over our boss and the college professor. We won't have you arrested if you simply give them up to us." It was Fred in his new armored disguise, widely grinning beneath his mask as suit was designed to appear similar to his father's superhero persona, the legendary Boss Awesome.

Miss Midori scoffed as she spat on the floor and sped forward with her graphene spear lunging towards Fred, but immediately felt resistance as if she had rammed her spear into a wall. She felt massive energy push her back as an energy shield appeared, brilliant green hexagonal patterns manifesting. The shielding was designed in a similar fashion to the same kind that contained the mutated Orso Knox locked up in his cell.

Beyond the shield was a more burly-built armored guard, being none other than Wasabi in disguise. Wasabi readied his shield, "Stand down. We don't have to fight if you just hand them over to us." Miss Midori laughed, "Why would I back down when I can finally enjoy a good fight?!" She dashed forward and continued an onslaught of attacks with her umbrella-disguised spear, her flurries were decisively pushing Wasabi back as he defended against her.

Seizing the opportunity, Akane swung a spiked ball at the end of her chain, activating a thruster on it so that it could move at the right angle to hit Wasabi around his shield. Before the spiked ball could hit him, Wasabi screamed as he was carried off quickly by a sleekly armored individual who moved in a near blur. Letting Wasabi down, it was Gogo in her newly-designed Krei Tech disguised suit.

Gogo stood confidently, "Hand over our boss, Alistair Krei, and the company asset, Robert Callaghan. If you comply, we will not apprehend you and hand you to the authorities." Her Krei Tech-disguised armored levitated right off of the floor through her own MagLev-design. It was similar to the one she had previously unknowingly devised for Trengrove's "Big Yama" project. This allowed her to move even quicker than by skating along her normal maglev discs, having no surface friction to slow her.

Hiro looked around and shrugged at the Fujitas, "Looks like we have an interesting development. Three of you, three of them and one of me. Even I know when I am at a disadvantage. I'll be taking my leave, now. But I'll have Callaghan, yet." Gogo and Fred dashed towards Hiro, appearing like they were going to apprehend him. Fred yelled, "We won't let you get away, Skull Face!" But Hiro used his magnetic gauntlets to magnetically repel and suspend them in place, "I think I've had my fill of fighting this night, ladies and gentlemen! Best of luck, Fujitas. I hope we don't cross paths again." With that, Hiro activated his optical camouflage and disappeared into the forest.

Akane scoffed, "We will cross paths again, my 'Mr. Perfect.'" She and her sisters looked towards the disguised Big Hero 6 members, Akane remarked, "So, you must be Mr. Krei's higher-end executive protection team? Impressive tech, but you aren't taking them from us." The Fujitas dashed around on their high-powered roller skates, maneuvering around and giving the disguised Big Hero 6 members trouble, save for Gogo who could keep up with them. As they continued to clash with them, the Big Hero 6 team was not fully accustomed to their new armor and the Fujitas proved to be formidable opponents with their sheer speed and coordination between them. Fujiko mused, "Let's wrap things up with these guys and take our prize, girls."

In the darkness, they suddenly heard Hiro's altered voice reverberate throughout the forest, "Oh, and ladies… Here is one last parting gift from me." As the Fujitas raced around, they suddenly felt the wheels of their roller skates halt as they all simultaneously fell towards the ground. They were abruptly pounced on by Gogo, Wasabi and Fred.

Akane quickly realized that Dokuro had used his directional micro-EMP emitter to shut down their powered skates. She yelled out towards the skull-faced villain, "And to think I would have broken you out of prison!" Hiro responded, "I told you… I don't take kindly to betrayal, Akane." As Gogo held her down, she was weirded out when Akane squealed, "He actually said my name this time! That's progress, right?! He really likes me! Don't you think?" Gogo shook her head, "Ok… time to go to sleep, weirdo." Gogo, Wasabi and Fred all placed a sedative transdermal patch on the Fujitas, causing them all to fall unconscious as the team tied them up.

Hiro came onto the comms as he spoke to his team, remaining hidden from afar, "Great job, guys. I'm having Judy send over the Krei Tech helicopter to your position now. Professor Callaghan and Mr. Krei will probably be feeling this in the morning, but they're safe and that's what matters. Honey Lemon and Baymax were able to stop the decoys from causing more trouble, it appears no one got injured in the chaos. Everything went according to plan." Gogo spoke bluntly, "That is, if this actually gets us closer to gaining favor for Professor Callaghan's release. Then yes, everything will be going just as planned."

Suddenly, Abigail chimed in, "I'd say it will. Police were completely thrown for a loop and Alistair's high-end 'executive protection team' successfully rescued both him and my dad, along with apprehending the Fujitas. I think we made a strong impression here." Abby remained at a distance from the prison, cloaked through her optical camouflage as she observed the police cordon the area. She smiled as she watched several officers attempt to extract Chief Cruz and his teammates out of their locked-up exoskeletons.

"Glad you're ok, Abby," Hiro said, relieved that she was able to face off against the rest of Task Force Tantō on her own. Abby chuckled, "Well, I certainly had my workout session for the night. I'll remain here to make sure you guys are able to return my father without issue. But… um… Anyone else really hungry?" Fred exploded onto the comms, "How about after we drop off Professor Callaghan back to the prison, we all go grab some late-night Noodle Burger? My treat to celebrate our mission success!" The team all collectively agreed, a calming way to end the night after all of the action.


	28. Free the Cells

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 28: Free the Cells**

"_It appeared like it was going to be a quiet and peaceful night on the streets of San Fransokyo. Until… chaos erupted throughout its roads as several go-karts sped wildly as several police cars chased after them. And they all were being remotely piloted by the villainous criminal team, 'The Painted Ladies.' _

_But they were a very tricky bunch, as the go-karts all had two people on them, and they all looked the same. One always looked like the kidnapped prisoner, Professor Callaghan, and the other was Mr. Krei. They were unconscious guards disguised as them!_

_Luckily, Red Panda and Tall Girl worked feverishly to soar through the night sky as they tried to safely stop the tiny vehicles with gooey chemicals! But where did these go-karts all come from?_

_It was from none other than the San Fransokyo Maximum-Security Prison, where the super robotic police team were sent to fight the main villainous culprits, Skull Boy and Demon Lady! The high-tech police did their best to apprehend the new villain team, but they proved to be tough foes even for them. _

'_You and your police are no match for us, Chief! You cannot stop us, no one can!' Skull Boy laughed maniacally. But, before the villain could finish off the police team, they were valiantly saved by the one-and-only Captain Cutie! _

_The brave young hero protected the police chief and his team, telling them, 'You may not like me, Chief. But know that as long as the people of San Fransokyo needs help against criminals and villains, there will always be a Captain Cutie and Big Hero 6 to fight for justice. I am here to help, and I am on your side.' _

_Skull Boy laughed, 'The mighty Captain Cutie has arrived! Time for a real fight!' Captain Cutie flipped dazzlingly over towards the villain as they clashed on the rooftop of the prison-" _Fred jumped off of his couch and rolled along the floor of his massive "man cave" room adorned with various comic memorabilia.

Hiro looked at his eccentric friend with unamused eyes, "Um… Fred… Can you stop reading Karmi's fanfiction, please? I thought you were going to help me with these?" The young genius pointed towards two suitcases he brought with him. Freddy stood up, "Okay… fine… It was just getting to the good part, too. Where Captain Cutie and Skull Boy were about to-"

Hiro stopped him, "Fred, please… It's weird enough Karmi always writes about us… and me… well, 'superhero me.' But it's now weirder that she has me fighting… me? I mean, Dokuro did not fight anyone from Big Hero 6. Not to mention, that's not even possible for 'Captain Cutie' and 'Skull Boy' to fight. Karmi is really taking creative freedom to make stuff up now."

Fred gasped as if he had been offended, "What?! I happen to be a big fan of her epic saga that she's been putting together! It's based off of true stories, you know!?" Hiro merely looked at his friend, rolling his eyes, "Okay, well… can you read that another time, 'Fredalicious24?' Like, when I'm not around?"

Freddy slumped his back and sighed, "Fine… I just got really excited to see your villain persona make a guest appearance! I mean, check out all of the comments and reviews on this chapter. Folks are also becoming fans of the dark and cool villain who is now proclaimed to be the arch-nemesis of Captain Cutie. The two are nearly equally matched, but Captain Cutie always will prevail because he is the city's defender of justice along with his Big Hero 6 team, especially with that charming 'Flame Jumper' character fighting alongside him."

Hiro did not like to hear about Karmi's fanfictions for rather obvious reasons that they are very embarrassing, especially with her complete infatuation with his alter-ego. But Karmi's fanfiction oddly had a large following, as it could provide insights on public opinion.

The young boy reluctantly looked to see what others said about the current events her chapter was loosely based on. Noticing that many were commenting on how it was a good thing that Krei Tech's security and Big Hero 6 were able to help save the day. As wide ranged with opinions the internet had, there were many who believed that the police could not handle this situation alone. Others displayed their disagreements with Chief Cruz' current tenure as police chief. Hiro was pleasantly surprised, remarking, "Well, seems like Karmi is fighting for us in her own way…"

In a way, Hiro had to be grateful to Karmi. The young boy had to admit that Karmi was fighting for Big Hero 6 in her own way as a fangirl. She has been quite upset that the new police chief has already gone on record of his disapproval for their existence as vigilantes. Chief Cruz had already stated when asked that he was intending to address the presence of Big Hero 6, which has already sparked some controversy among the public. San Fransokyo's police force was a hardworking, dedicated and competent public safety agency. But these combined events were making Chief Cruz especially unpopular among those who have been personally saved by Hiro and his friends.

Through her fanfiction, in her own way, Karmi was trying to vouch for Hiro and his team's desire to fight to protect the people and was on the same side as the police. Even if Hiro did not actually confront the Dokuro like her chapter suggests, since that wouldn't be possible, she did weave a story that reinforced the police's inability to handle the prison break scheme and that Big Hero 6 was here to help. These developments, on top of their efforts to gain favor for Krei Tech over Chief Cruz, were loosening his influence over keeping Professor Callaghan from being temporarily released as a project consultant for Mr. Krei.

Oddly, Hiro felt that Karmi was truly doing what she wanted to, to help the Big Hero 6 team. Her fanfiction was supporting them through positive publicity and praising them in a good light. Of course, Hiro, himself, would not be able to personally thank Karmi and that thought was somehow gross or foreign to him. Perhaps he could thank her, when he was in his alter-ego persona though.

Fred grinned, "Does that mean I can read the rest to you?" Hiro grimaced once again, "No, thanks… Anyways… You do have a place for these, right Fred?" The young boy lifted two suitcases from the floor, as Freddy got excited and went towards one of his walls. Fred smiled, "Oh, yeah. Just watch, I got the best spot for those…"

Fred opened a hidden compartment with a biometric scanner display, he took off a slipper and placed his bare foot on the scanner. It illuminated and verified his foot print. Suddenly, the wall lifted to reveal a hidden room. It had several glass cases, some containing various comic superhero memorabilia including live-sized collectable costumes.

Within the hidden room, Hiro and Freddy walked up to a glass case. Hiro looked around the cases containing Fred's collection that even had costumes directly from their respective movies, always impressed at Fred's dedication to "all-things-comic-books." The young boy looked to his eccentric friend, "You sure it's ok to store these here, Fred? They are incriminating to have…" Hiro opened up a suit case, revealing the skull-face mask and Irezumi serpent-designed "Dokuro" super villain disguise.

Fred opened up one of his display cases with an excited grin, "You kidding me, dude?! Of course, it's ok! Just like how Captain Fancy has in his hidden headquarters, I hope to one day have a secret lair and it will contain all of our older disguises and super-suits! So, having your 'Dokuro' disguise in here would be my honor! And who knows, you and Abby might have to reprise your villain personas if we ever need to dive back into the criminal underworld. So, I'll keep yours and Abby's "Lady Hannya" disguises safe." Fred took out Abby's villainess disguise and began to place it within a container display with the same meticulous care as he did for his comic super-hero collectable suits.

Hiro nodded as he lifted his villain suit from the case, "Thanks, Fred. Just can't afford to keep this within Krei Tech, don't want Mr. Krei to get connected with that 'villain.' Especially since the city's law enforcement is really looking for him… Well, technically looking for me. And you are right, we may need it again in the future…"

Hiro lifted the skull mask, the young boy's face partially reflected on the mask as it aligned with his face. The skull ominously looking back at him. Hiro was not comfortable playing the role of a villain and did not particularly enjoy having to face off against the police or Chief Cruz. But he had to admit, it did give him an opportunity to personally gauge Chief Cruz and his Task Force Tantō's growing technological capabilities.

There may come a time that he and his team will have to deal with them, not as disguised super-villains but as super-heroes. The young boy did not look forward to this eventuality. Until then, Hiro knew that he was glad to hang up the Dokuro suit and hopefully be done with having to play the role of the villain. Hiro looked up at the villain suit on display, "Well, we never originally set out to be super-heroes. But definitely not to be villains, either. I hope I never have to act like 'Skull Boy,' again."

* * *

Abigail walked through the halls of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, "Okay, where do I find that little munchkin?" She turned opened the door into one of the lab areas where the crew usually hung out, looking for the young boy genius. From around the corner, she could hear the distinctly happy-go-lucky voice of Honey Lemon, "Wait! It worked!" Soon after, Abby heard a familiar voice that made her smile, "Hah! It worked!" Walking in that direction, Abby quickly saw the tall chemistry genius strongly embracing Karmi, their faces smooshed together as Honey Lemon exclaimed gleefully, "We did it! Bio-bestie hug!"

Karmi strained, "I'm really not a hugger…" Without letting up, Honey Lemon yelled gleefully, "You are now!" The young biotech prodigy wiggled as she tried to escape, Abigail walking towards them as she laughed, "Sorry, Karmi. You can't escape Honey's legendary hugs. You just have to get used to them." Turning around with Karmi still in her arms, Honey Lemon gently let go of the young girl, "Abby!" She promptly hugged Abby as Karmi sighed in relief, Abigail smiled, "See? Just go with the flow, young lady."

Karmi smiled, always enjoying seeing Abigail, "Hey, Abby! Great timing! Honey Lemon and I just made a big scientific breakthrough!" Abby was happy to see Karmi to be enthusiastic and for her to be interacting with Honey Lemon, seeing Honey as a perfect opportunity for Karmi to grow socially. She smiled at the young prodigy, "Yeah, I was wondering about that? Overheard you two celebrating as I walked in. What you guys working on?"

Karmi smirked, "We successfully neutralized the foreign chemicals from Globby's unstable cells. We were able to free a sample of his cells, we should be able to cure him back to being human!" Abigail placed her hand along her hip, "I'm really impressed, you two. That's quite the achievement, I'm sure Globby will be thrilled to return back to normal. You guys really make a great team."

Karmi instantly flinched but was wrapped up by Honey Lemon's arms in another friendly embrace. Honey Lemon gleefully exclaimed, "We are a great team! We're bio-besties!" Karmi laughed uneasily, "Yeah. Bio-besties…" As she wiggled free, Karmi smiled as she looked at their orange chemical solution, "This was the perfect project for us, though. I guess you could say we are 'Team Bio-Chem?' With me as the biology genius and Honey Lemon as the chemistry genius."

Honey Lemon clapped her hands together and smiled, "I love it! Hooray for 'Team Bio-Chem!'" Abby laughed, "You two are adorable." Honey Lemon looked towards Abigail, "We're going to get equipment set up and then we'll get Globby for his special day. Will you be joining us, Abby?" Abigail smiled towards the two but shook her head, "That's really great, guys. But actually, Alistair and I have a meeting with some officials and Chief Cruz. I actually came here to look for Hiro."

Karmi scoffed, as Abby chuckled and asked the young prodigy, "I thought you guys were getting along more as friends, Karmi?" Karmi shook her head emphatically and waved her hands in disbelief, "What? No. Eww. He's not my friend! I know you said I should be more open but it's still too annoying to be around that 'know-it-all.'"

Honey Lemon smiled softly, "Hiro and Baymax were here just a moment ago but they left. The two young geniuses were at it again. But even if they don't admit it, I think it's because they are so similar that they can't stand each other yet." Karmi seemingly gagged lightly, "Ugh… I don't know why you two keep saying that. I am nothing like that little kid." Honey Lemon continued reassuringly, "Well, in a good way, Karmi."

Abby laughed, "That's right. You two are extremely smart and you guys know it. And you guys act the same way sometimes. Trust me, it's only a matter of time before you guys become best buds." Karmi stuck out her tongue and held her stomach as if she was going to throw up, "Please, stop you guys… As much as I can't stand that boy genius. I was actually upset hearing Chief Cruz' name."

Abigail's eyebrow raised curiously, "That's right! You're not a fan of the new police chief too, right Karmi? Don't worry, I'm not either." Karmi was relieved to hear that, "Yeah! Definitely not a fan of his! He wants to treat Big Hero 6 like they are some vigilante criminals! But they are just trying to keep this city safe, just like his police!" Abigail smiled, she was intimately aware of this since she had personally clashed with Chief Cruz' special task force, only wishing that she was able to put him in his place personally. But Hiro was able to do that each time the police chief intervened in their efforts.

Abby responded, "His views on Big Hero 6 are far too simplistic and black-and-white. This city needs people like Captain Cutie and his teammates, like Tall Girl, to help keep us all safe." Abby looked to Honey Lemon, who smiled back. Abigail continued, "Great job on your latest chapter, . Those new villains, Skull Boy and Demon Lady are interesting characters, especially that Demon Lady." Abigail grinned, shamelessly talking about herself.

Karmi got excited that Abby continues to keep up with her fanfiction, "Oh! You're keeping up with my chapters! I know, right? I personally think I like Skull Boy as a villain! Not how I like Captain Cutie, of course! But I think he's the perfect arch-nemesis for my Captain Cutie!" Karmi was getting into her fangirl mode, making Honey Lemon and Abby smile as they pictured the two alter-egos of Hiro fighting each other. Amused by the irony that Karmi was inclined to like the two personas whose true identity was none-other-than her rival, Hiro.

Abby tried to mirror the young girl's energy, "Me too! I hope you keep writing about the clash between Captain Cutie and Skull Boy! Well, I'd like to catch up with you more some time, Karmi. But I must be going. I'm going to grab some lunch with Hiro before I head to that meeting. It's regarding a special Krei Tech project that Chief Cruz has been opposing us on, but he hasn't been the most popular as of late, so I sense a victory around the corner."

Karmi smiled, "That sounds amazing, Abby! Best of luck! And I would love to have dinner again sometime!" Abigail nodded towards her, "You bet! I know Liv keeps you pretty busy, but don't be a stranger. Feel free to hit me up, we'll set something up some time. Since you are getting familiar with Honey Lemon, would you be open to having dinner with the rest of the big group?" Honey Lemon chimed in, "Oh, yes! It will be so much fun! C'mon, Karmi!" But the young girl hesitated, knowing that means that she would have to see her rival and she was not comfortable yet to be around so much people at once.

Honey Lemon and Abby stood together and nodded to each other, Abigail continued, "Only if you are up to it, of course. But I'd be happy to have dinner with you some time." Karmi appreciated their understanding, "Definitely, Abby. Thank you, guys. Maybe I'd be more comfortable for dinner with you and Honey Lemon for now, if that is ok?" Honey Lemon and Abigail nodded with a pleasant smile, Honey Lemon answering for them, "More than ok. We'd love that! Well, let's get Globby and get this rolling! We won't keep you any longer, Abby! Good luck with the project!" Abigail hugged both Karmi and Honey Lemon, "Thanks! And best of luck with Globby, guys! I know you guys will change him back!"

* * *

In a large open board room with an open view of San Fransokyo's downtown, several prominent figures took their seats at a large table. Several copies of official dossiers containing key documents and reports were strewn neatly along each seat. Abigail, Alistair and Judy took their seats directly across from these important officials, they carried themselves with confidence and consummate professionalism. A well-dressed and formal individual took his seat next to Krei, he was well-groomed with his hair styled into a comb-over. The man placed a suit case down beside him and tersely adjusted his glasses to his face before outstretching a hand to Alistair, "Mr. Krei, I'm Alexander Henderson from SDARPA. I will be representing the agency for our joint project together in this meeting. I'm pleased we are back on track here."

Krei shook his hand courteously, "As am I, Mr. Henderson. It's a pleasure to meet you, thank you for coming." Mr. Henderson curtly nodded, as he unbuttoned his suit and got settled into his seat. Across from them, one of the council members stood up to address them, "Welcome everyone, we will now be conducting our meeting regarding the conditional release of Robert Callaghan as a project consultant to the joint- SDARPA and Krei Tech special project. Chief Cruz, please have your men bring in Mr. Callaghan."

Chief Cruz curtly nodded towards his men, as they stepped out of the room. Shortly, they returned as the distinct chains of restraints rattled as Professor Callaghan shuffled into the room in his bright orange prison jumpsuit. He took his seat, parallel but still separate from Abigail and the others. Professor Callaghan conducted himself with solemn dignity, but he shortly looked over towards his daughter, who was looking at him and lightly smiling towards him. He smiled back lightly at her, and then the two looked forward and resumed a more serious, business-like expression.

Mr. Henderson started the meeting, "Council member Conway, Council member Lancaster, Chief Cruz, and all distinguished members of this board. Thank you for conducting this meeting. I am Alexander Henderson, I will be acting as the lead representative to the Self Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. As you are aware, Mr. Krei's company and SDARPA have been jointly working on a special project of vital importance to civilian, humanitarian and defense projects throughout the world. 'Project Sindri' will provide a rapid technological solution to construction efforts in the most hostile or austere environments. But it's technical challenges, as Mr. Krei has assured, will require the expertise of Professor Callaghan. Professor Callaghan is regarded as the "Father of Modern Robotics" and we, at SDARPA, have come to agree that having him consult on this project will ensure our success."

The council members nodded, as they quietly looked at the dossier regarding the unclassified objectives outlined for Project Sindri. It was to provide a robotic asset that could rapidly construct structures, especially in war-torn areas or locations ravaged by natural disasters. But these environments would be particularly hostile or dangerous to construction crews, so a robust design was needed. Council member Lancaster, a rather short and stocky man, addressed them, "Mr. Henderson, Mr. Krei. We, among the city's leadership, wholly agree that this project is a monumental undertaking and its importance cannot be understated. However, our hesitation in the past has been surrounding the release of Robert Callaghan. His actions in the past caused massive damage to a portion of the city and endangered lives. Ensuring that he would be secure and remain in custody has been our primary concern."

Beside him, council member Conway continued, "However, the recent events of Professor Callaghan being kidnapped by criminals despite our maximized security and the efforts of our own police force has made us reconsider the situation. Were it not for Mr. Krei's advanced security team, Professor Callaghan would no longer be within any of our custodies. We are more inclined now to entrust more faith that Krei Tech and SDARPA will be able to maintain positive custody of Professor Callaghan, ensuring that he does not escape or is taken by rivaling criminals for their own purposes."

Chief Cruz' briefly snarled but kept his composure, he spoke with subdued anger, "Council members… Respectfully, I still believe that this is not a safe decision to make. Professor Callaghan is a resourceful man. Although Krei Tech's security team did secure both him and the criminal team, the Fujitas, Callaghan was still almost lost. He may still be a target and he may still attempt to escape." At this point, Krei stepped in as he recalled what Abigail and Hiro had discussed with him, "Chief Cruz, council members. I can assure you that we have several layers of countermeasures to ensure that Mr. Callaghan remains within custody and remains in constant supervision. At one level, Project Sindri will be conducted at Akuma Island. It is a secure and isolated location, it would be extremely difficult to escape from and would be difficult for criminal intruders to get to undetected, should others attempt to kidnap him again."

Krei opened his sample dossier, "If you would like to refer to page 17 of your dossier, you will see that we have also designed a holding cell in conjunction with SecuriTech, the premiere company that makes nearly impenetrable cells. We also have an auto-lockdown procedure should there be any issues, along with several levels of automated security systems and armed personnel capable of continuous monitoring. And of course, we have our highly-capable, advanced security response team. The same one that was responsible for rescuing myself, Mr. Callaghan and for apprehending the Fujitas. Retaining Mr. Callaghan in our custody is of utmost importance to my company, SDARPA and for the success of this project. I assure you all, he will be secure in our custody."

The council members turned to talk amongst themselves quietly, but as Chief Cruz was able to hear his colleagues deliberate over the matter, it was clear that the police chief was becoming more visibly tense. Council member Lancaster spoke, "Mr. Krei, Mr. Henderson. We have been discussing this matter for quite some time before, but we are both pleased and relieved to see that you are taking every step to ensure that Professor Callaghan remains in custody. This project is important, and we have come to agree that his involvement in the project is necessary to its success. Under these conditions, we will allow for his conditional release to provide special consulting to Project Sindri, and that his time in your custody will be determined by the project's timeline."

Council member Conway continued, "However, transparency is among our conditions. This council will require some forms of updates regarding the project's progress as feasible. This is a temporary release based on the project. We reserve the right to pull him out of the project should we deem it so." Chief Cruz was frustrated but controlled himself, he sighed, "Despite my reservations, the council has determined that Robert Callaghan will be given to Krei Tech's custody. However, among the conditions for his release, a special detail consisting of my men must be allowed to also monitor him at the project site."

Krei looked towards Abigail, wondering if she and Hiro had addressed this possibility. This time Abigail chimed in, "Understandable. For your reassurance, your men will be able to monitor my father at the site when he is in his cell. Due to the confidential nature of the project's actual execution, your men will not be able to be with him personally but will be able to monitor surveillance feeds of him when he is actively consulting." Krei wondered how they would handle this, but Abigail seemed to be confident so surely, she and Hiro had already accounted for this condition. Chief Cruz was silent for a moment, then he grudgingly nodded, "Very well."

Chief Cruz looked to the detained professor sitting across from him, "Professor Callaghan. Despite my reservations and concerns, the council has deemed that you be released for this project. But let me reiterate that should you attempt to escape, I assure you that you may find that you will never be allowed to be released again." Professor Callaghan merely looked up at Chief Cruz, his eyes and expression unphased by the threat, "I understand that this was a difficult decision to make by the council. I would not have expected to be released and this certainly is an unprecedented privilege. I have no intentions to try to escape from my sentence or from my responsibilities to pay for what I did. It would be a privilege to consult for a project that will help others. I will do my part and that is all. And there is much for me to do to pay on my part for my actions..."

Abby looked towards her father, knowing full well that he was not referring to Project Sindri, but rather their own special project to recreate Silent Sparrow and retrieve the original Baymax. Finally, all of the pieces were coming together and now they would all have the opportunity to find some sense of closure from all that transpired. For Professor Callaghan, he knew that this was his opportunity to make it up to his daughter, to Hiro and to Tadashi. It would truly be a privilege that he felt he did not deserve but that he certainly had to do for them. Although, the professor would be freed from his cell only to be placed into another one, Callaghan felt that if he could do this for them, he may be freed from his nightmares of Yokai and his late protégé, Tadashi. The council members and the other officials, including Chief Cruz, stood up. Council member Conway spoke formally, "Very well. Then, it is settled. Mr. Krei, Mr. Henderson, Professor Callaghan is all yours for the time being."

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, finally getting this arc moving along where it has been building towards! Just wanted to say that I have been getting a lot of ideas on how to incorporate Liv Amara's arc into this storyline down the road and I must say that I am excited for when that time comes. I hope that I can get this arc and that one completed before the actual series' conclusion of Liv's story. Just to see where they stand in comparison, but that may become its own standalone series. A part of the reason why I wanted to write this story was to make it somewhat believable that this is what would happen if Abigail came into the story and proposed this project. So, I've tried my best to adhere how the canon would be affected, along with character dynamics and development. Perhaps it's not so subtle, but I do have a disdain for Chief Cruz' opposition to Big Hero 6 so it's a bit satisfying to show him not having his way.**

**Anyways, I'll try to continue this series as usual but writer's block can be a doozy at times and sometimes I create plot holes that I always want to revisit or patch up. Special thanks to user Lelcar for reviewing this story and providing awesome feedback. If you are enjoying this series, please follow it and review with your own feedback. It helps me out so much. Thank you for reading and hope you are entertained. Cheers.**

**Nerd Note: Creating titles are fun for me. Hope you caught that not only is Globby's cells being freed from the chemicals that mutated him. But, also that Callaghan is now being freed from his cell. It's a play on words, like a biological cell and a prison cell. Get it? Okay, yeah… Til' next time.**


	29. Pain Precedes Peace

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 29: Pain Precedes Peace**

"It still hurts, Aunt Cass… I miss them…" the young seven-year-old Tadashi spoke softly, fighting the tears that were welling in his eyes. Aunt Cass looked to her young nephew with compassionate eyes, but it had been apparent that her eyes were heavy from the days of grieving for her sister and brother-in-law. In her hand, she held the turquoise pendant necklace on her chest affectionately… a gift from her late sister. She pulled the young boy towards her, caressing the boy's hair tenderly, "I know, Tadashi. I miss them too…"

She could hear the soft whimpering and sniffling as the young boy sobbed. "I hate him…" Tadashi suddenly said as his face was buried into Aunt Cass' body. Aunt Cass was horrified, "Who?" Tadashi looked up with tears in his eyes, but his expression was one of unfettered hatred and pain. He spoke sharply, "That man." Aunt Cass quickly realized that the young Tadashi was referring to the man that caused the auto-accident and crashed his car into the Hamada's moving vehicle, fatally injuring both. Despite the efforts of the responding paramedics, they both passed away in the emergency department.

"Why did he have to be the one to live? Why not mom and dad?! It's all his fault! It should have been him and not them…" the young Tadashi's body trembled uncontrollably as he clenched his fists tightly. Aunt Cass shook her head and hugged him tighter, "No, no, Tadashi. You don't mean that." The young boy gritted his teeth, "I do! He's the one…He's the one who took them away!"

Aunt Cass now knelt down as she now looked her young nephew in the eyes, speaking softly, "Tadashi, I know that it hurts so much right now. I miss them, so much. But your parents would not want you to resent that man, to hold so much anger towards him. Your mom and dad have always been kind, loving and forgiving people. They wouldn't want you to feel this way. I'm not saying you have to forgive that man now or even years from now but holding that pain will only eat at you from the inside. I know you are only speaking out of hurt."

The pre-adolescent Tadashi looked down, he was silently contemplating his aunt's words but still had tears streaming down his face. He finally spoke weakly, "It's just… unfair, Aunt Cass." Although Cass had been grieving and even gradually losing weight from not taking care of herself, she knew that she had to be strong and be there for her nephews. For her sister and her brother-in-law, she would be the one to take care of their children in their stead.

Cass smiled towards her young nephew, she stood up and went to her purse to take something out of it. Tadashi continued to look down, only to suddenly feel something cover the top of his head and obstructing his vision. Surprised, he reached up to take it off. When he looked at it, he immediately recognized the black baseball cap with the distinct red-and-gold stitched San Fransokyo Ninjas logo on it. His eyes widened as he looked up to his aunt who was smiling down at him, "This is-"

Aunt Cass knelt down once again, "Your father's. He used to wear it all the time, remember? He always loved taking you to those San Fransokyo Ninjas' games. He always said you were good luck for them. Won every time... I know your father would have wanted you to have it, Tadashi." The young boy rubbed his eyes along the sleeves of his pajama shirt, then looked down at the hat in his hands. He caressed the stitching along the San Fransokyo Ninja's logo. He muttered softly, "Dad…"

Aunt Cass spoke tenderly, "We will always miss them. But we shouldn't dwell on losing them... or who or what took them away from us. Remember them, Tadashi. They will live on through us. Your mom and dad… they would want us to be strong. I know it hurts, but it's up to us to keep their memory alive and to be who they would want us to be. And remember, you still have me and your little brother. We have to be strong, you have to be strong for Hiro. You think you can do that?" Aunt Cass looked to her nephew, who nodded weakly and tried to smile, but burst into tears as he hugged his aunt with his father's hat still in hand. He stuttered as he apologized, "I'm sorry Aunt Cass. I'll try to be strong…"

"'Dashi? What's wrong?" a tiny childish voice spoke above them. The two turned around to look up the stair case, shocked to see the three-year-old Hiro looking at them with a confused and concern expression, having just woken up from a nap. The toddler gripped one of the columns of the staircase railing, a teddy bear being dragged along by its leg in the little boy's hand. "Hiro?! You're awake!?" Aunt Cass looked to her little nephew, she walked up the stairs to get him as the boy rubbed his eyes. They wondered how long the little boy was standing there.

She carefully led him down the stairs, bringing him towards Tadashi, who was now trying to wipe his tears away. "What's wrong, 'Dashi? Please don't cry. It's okay," little Hiro sweetly tried to comfort his older brother. Tadashi looked to his little brother, seeing the cute little gap in his front teeth and the boy's fluffy black hair always made Tadashi smile. He always wondered if Hiro would outgrow that look, but secretly hoped he wouldn't.

He thought about their parents, knowing that their deaths hadn't hit his little brother as much because he had barely known them. His smile softened, knowing that Hiro would probably forget what little memories he would have of them. He would have to be there for his little brother, just like they were for him. The lessons they imparted in him, he would have to pass to Hiro.

This time, Tadashi was the one to kneel down to level with his little brother and look at him. The young Tadashi looked to their father's hat, putting it on his head. It was still rather large on him, so he tipped it upwards. He smiled at little Hiro, "Thanks, little bro. You're right. It's all going to be okay."

* * *

Hiro opened his eyes, feeling tears lightly trickle down his face. He rubbed his eyes as he was waking up in his bedroom. Sitting up in bed, he looked to Tadashi's side of the room. _Why did I have a dream about that time?_ Hiro wondered, remembering how Aunt Cass comforted Tadashi, it seemed that it was a distant and fuzzy memory, but the dream was very vivid. The young boy stood up, walking over to Tadashi's bed where his baseball cap was neatly placed. After the disintegration device incident at SFIT, Hiro decided to safely keep Tadashi's hat back on his bed.

He picked up the black hat, a memento that represented their late father but for Hiro, it represented Tadashi. Hiro remembered Aunt Cass' words to his brother, _We will always miss them. But we shouldn't dwell on losing them or who or what took them away from us. Remember them. _Reflecting on those words that helped Tadashi to eventually forgive the man who caused their parents' accident, he thought about how Tadashi would have wanted Hiro to be able to heal and move on without malice towards Professor Callaghan. He sighed, caressing the red-and-gold stitching of the logo, Hiro spoke to himself, "It's going to be okay right, bro?"

The young boy proceeded to place the iconic baseball cap onto his own head. But thanks to his messy, fluffy black hair, the hat smooshed his bed-head hair down and Hiro was unable to see as his black bangs now covered his eyes. He chuckled lightly, "Never was quite able to fit it, huh? Right, Tadashi?" He laughed, knowing if he took the time to fix his hair down, he would be able to wear the hat like Tadashi.

"/Hiro./" the sudden sound of his healthcare companion's voice startled the boy, causing him to take off the hat quickly as he fumbled around to catch it. He landed on Tadashi's bed with the hat in hand, smiling shyly at Baymax who was walking up the stairs towards him. He noted that Baymax was up earlier to help Aunt Cass at the café, startled by his sudden appearance, "B-Baymax! Hey! Good morning! Didn't know you were there. How long were you there for?" He spoke, flustered having thought he was alone. His briefly flattened hair puffed back up to its usual fluff.

"/Are you alright, Hiro? It would appear that you have not been getting adequate quality of sleep these past five days./" Baymax inquired, now lifting his finger as a monitor displayed on his chest with several graphs, "/According to my nightly sleep scans, your increased movements and snoring indicate that your time in REM sleep has been intermittent and broken, leading to inadequate rest and recovery./" Baymax proceeded to replay audio recordings of Hiro snoring and shuffling, embarrassing the young boy, "That's okay, Baymax. You don't have to replay that… I've just been having weird dreams lately, is all. I'm okay, really."

Baymax now proceeded to sit down, his hands interlocked like a clinical psychologist beginning a talk therapy session, "/Perhaps you would like to discuss your recent dreams? Dreams and nightmares can be a subconscious indicator of emotional distress. It could be helpful to discuss them to analyze your current psychological state./" Hiro smiled and waved his hands dismissingly, "I'm okay, buddy. Really." After all, he knew why he was having these dreams. The young boy would now have to truly face his feelings towards Professor Callaghan, along with all of the trauma behind losing Tadashi and his first model of Baymax.

Attempting to further dissuade his healthcare companion from continuing his psychoanalysis, he changed the subject, "I'm actually really hungry. Is breakfast ready?" Baymax stood up, "/Correct. Aunt Cass has made you some fruity pancakes. It is recommended to start your day with such a healthy breakfast meal./"

Hiro tapped his finger forward as if the robot hit it on the nose, "That's right, buddy. I'll just grab a quick bite and we'll be ready to start the day. It's going to be an interesting day, for sure." Today was the day Professor Callaghan would be released into Krei Tech's custody to begin their project.

Regardless of how he felt towards Callaghan, all that they were working towards was leading to this stage of the project. Project Silent Sparrow, itself, could finally be rebuilt due to the professor's extensive understanding and experience surrounding that machine. All the pieces were finally coming together, provided that they could successfully sneak the professor into their secret sub-level lab compound beneath Akuma Island without the snooping eyes of Chief Cruz' men. Fortunately, Hiro and Abigail always do their best to come up with a plan.

* * *

Professor Callaghan sat in his cell waiting for the moment to arrive. He walked up to the wall with the one possession he had and cared for, he looked to his photograph of Abigail and smiled. In one way, he was grateful that he would be able to see her more often. The door suddenly opened as several police officers and Abigail walked in. "It's time, dad. They'll escort you to the roof, our helicopter is waiting," Abigail said, a faint smile on her face but she remained professionally stern alongside the officers. Callaghan simply nodded, faintly smiling back. But things would not be all set until he was truly secure away from the police. They opened his cell and released him, escorting Professor Callaghan in the middle of a guarded formation through the prison compound.

They could hear the thundering of the helicopter's rotors above them, walking up to the final door they were "greeted" by a gruff uniformed man who looked rather displeased. Chief Cruz waited near the door, crossing his arms. They continued as Professor Callaghan nearly walked past the police chief, until Cruz put a hand on his shoulder firmly to stop the prisoner. "Consider yourself lucky. You'd best be on your best behavior, Professor. Try anything funny, and you'll never see the light of day again," Chief Cruz threatened Callaghan. But the professor was not fazed nor intimidated, he looked directly in the police chief's eyes and simply nodded.

Chief Cruz scoffed, merely motioning his head towards the door. Callaghan continued through the door to see Alistair Krei standing outside the helicopter, along with two of his executive protection detail donning armored exosuits. In truth, it was Gogo and Wasabi personally ensuring Callaghan was secure, due to the real possibility of him being kidnapped during his transfer.

Their presence was a show of force to deter any unexpected guests and also to reassure Chief Cruz that the prisoner would be secure. Krei and Callaghan nodded curtly to each other, as Gogo and Wasabi guided their former professor into the helicopter. Abigail and the officers followed him in, each finding their seats. Unbeknownst to the police and Callaghan, they were surrounded by a massive armada of cloaked buddy guards creating a perimeter around the prison. An additional safeguard planned by Granville overseeing the operation, lest they find more trouble, as the securing of Callaghan at Akuma Island was paramount.

As the doors of the helicopter slid closed, Chief Cruz glared towards them with obvious displeasure at losing the fight to keep Callaghan behind the city's bars. It was a rather short flight up north towards Akuma Island. Professor Callaghan looked out the window to see a large compound centering the island. "Far better than the old facility, right Dad?" Abby asked her father, who was deep in thought. He looked to her and feign smiled, "Looks more like my kind of island getaway."

In truth, it was rather difficult for Professor Callaghan to return to this island. A lot of bad memories and events transpired here. From the failed Silent Sparrow project that stole Abigail away, to his attempts to kill his former students and nearly being killed by his protege's robot at the command of a grieving boy. A deepening sense of guilt and pain pervaded his thoughts and senses, feeling the weight of returning to such a place that held no positive merit in his eyes.

The helicopter lowered to land on the helipad. Wasabi and Gogo stepped out first, escorting Callaghan and the officers into the lab compound as they passed through several layers of guarded entry control points. As they went deeper into the building, they came upon a secure access doorway and stopped in front of it.

Krei turned towards the police officers, "Officer Martinez, Officer Wray, beyond this point only authorized personnel who have unrestricted access are allowed. As was discussed, you will be allowed to observe Callaghan in this room with our surveillance systems." Krei motioned further down the hall.

Gogo beckoned the officers to follow her, "I will escort you to the surveillance room, officer. Please follow me." Officer Martinez and Officer Wray looked to each other. Officer Martinez responded, "Officer Wray will remain at this doorway while I monitor through the surveillance room."

Gogo simply shrugged, "Whatever works for you guys." Gogo walked with Officer Martinez down the hall, while Officer Wray observed Callaghan and the others go through the restricted area.

As they walked into the room full of monitors and holographic computers, Wasabi released Callaghan out of his hand restraints. Looking around the room, Callaghan noticed only one person was in the room waiting for them. A man in a white lab coat spun around his chair to face them, he had short white hair, slightly wrinkled fair skin and distinctly heterochromatic eyes.

With a blue eye and a green eye, he stared at Professor Callaghan while grinning eccentrically, "Looks like the prison life hasn't been treating you well, Robert." Callaghan looked at the man for a moment, processing who he was seeing. "Mike? Dr. Michael Catmull? Is that really you?" Professor Callaghan's face lit up in surprise, ecstatic to meet an old colleague of his.

"That's right, old friend. It's good to see you again. Never thought I'd see you like this, but life is strange," Dr. Catmull said with an amused grin. The two were longtime colleagues and both pioneers in the field of modern robotics. In fact, the duo was known for their collaborative project that gave rise to the "Callaghan-Catmull Spline" among other fundamental robotic principles that defined the scientific field.

"I thought you'd be working on robotics projects across the country or would be out on vacation as usual? What are you doing here?" Callaghan asked incredulously. "As far as everyone knows, I'm still on vacation backpacking throughout Europe. But I came to help you after I got contacted by little Abby..."

Callaghan looked to his daughter, who simply smiled and looked to Dr. Catmull, "Thank you again for coming to help, Uncle Mikey." Dr. Catmull grinned, "Of course, my dear girl! This should be more fun than my actual vacation! Secret agent work is a side hobby of mine. Well, not really. But all the more reason to do this! I'm here to be your ultra-intelligent decoy, Robert." Admittedly, Dr. Catmull has been regarded to be a rather eccentric scientist, known to be with plenty of quirks, in addition to his brilliance.

Professor Callaghan's eyebrow raised with curiosity, "What do you mean?" Dr. Catmull laughed with a snort, "I'll show you. Just don't wet your pants, Robert." The eccentric scientist put on a black mask that form fit his face and had an electronic device placed along his throat. The next moment, the mask's surface distorted and created a perfect copy of Professor Callaghan's face due to the mask being lined with flexible display technology.

Callaghan was shocked but what came next really almost disturbed him, as Dr. Catmull spoke but sounded exactly like Professor Callaghan himself. With a voice not of his own, Catmull laughed, "So, what do you think, Roberto? I think even now I am still the more handsome one, wouldn't you agree?"

Professor Callaghan looked to his spitting image, shaking his head and chuckling, "Still the same oddball I met twenty years ago, Mike." Dr. Catmull stood upright and formal, matching Professor Callaghan's posture. The two were notably around the same height and build, Catmull remarked, "It's a good thing you didn't get 'swole' in prison. Otherwise this wouldn't work, or I'd need to catch up on my strength game… Anyways! I'll be standing in for you for Project Sindri with SDARPA and Krei Tech. I've been around you long enough to know how you act and I know you have a reputation to uphold… Or at least in terms of your robotics work. I promise I will make sure that I will consult them with a design that would be 'Robert-approved,' as if you were advising it yourself. Besides, I understand you have a more pressing project to attend to, old friend."

Callaghan firmly shook his hands with Catmull, "I wouldn't have any doubts, Mike. Project Sindri is in the best of hands. Second to me, of course." Callaghan smiled playfully, the two had a friendly rivalry that spanned throughout their careers. Catmull laughed, pulling him into a hug, "Keep telling yourself that. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Robert." Releasing from their friendly reunion, Catmull's face became more serious, "But seriously, the times haven't been treating you too kindly, my friend. Please, do take care of yourself." The old professor smiled, "Will do, Mike. Truly, thank you for helping us."

"For an old friend, it's my pleasure. Well, you should be heading to your actual lab soon. And I must be getting to work shortly, you are a busy man after all. Well, I'll be a busy man, thanks to you of course," Catmull nodded to his old colleague. Suddenly, Callaghan looked up at the camera and then towards Abigail, "Wait? Isn't Cruz' officer observing us right now?" Abigail put her hand on her hip, smirking, "Don't worry, Dad. A certain boy genius is manipulating the imagery, as far as that officer is concerned, you're just sitting down at a computer right now and doing nothing exciting."

Abigail handed her father a full-body suit, "Put this on, Dad. We'll take you to the sub-level." Putting on the suit, Callaghan was startled when his hands suddenly disappeared. The entire suit was a limited-use optical camouflage suit lined with flexible display technology, specifically designed by Hiro to also have a tracking device, a restraint-locking mechanism and the ability to remotely disable the camouflage should Callaghan attempt to escape as precautionary safeguards.

In his ear, the suit had a communications system built in, hearing the familiar voice belonging to Granville, "Don't be alarmed, Robert." Callaghan was pleasantly surprised, "Grace?" Granville continued, "Yes. We'll be seeing you shortly. Mr. Hamada designed this suit specifically to safely smuggle you past the officers while Dr. Catmull takes your place." In the background, Hiro and Granville were pulling the strings for this clandestine operation, covering all ends.

Abigail looked towards where her father was standing, "Ok, Dad. Follow us and try to stay quiet as possible." She pressed on an earpiece, "Okay, boy genius. We're ready for the next phase. Do it." Granville went on the comms, "Once again, do not be alarmed, Robert." Suddenly, Callaghan began to float slightly off of the floor through a mag-lev suspension thanks to Gogo's design. Grace chimed in, "This is so the officers won't hear an extra pair of steps and hear you walking." Ironically, Callaghan now truly felt like a phantom.

Callaghan smiled, "You've all really planned this out well." Abigail, Krei and the disguised Wasabi nodded towards each other and then opened the door, immediately being greeted by Officer Wray. The officer looked towards them, as Mr. Krei reassured him, "Mr. Callaghan will remain in this lab to begin his work. I trust you will remain here to guard him. If you ever need anything, just notify my staff and they will accommodate for you, Officer Wray." The police officer curtly nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Krei." The officer peaked into the lab, seeing who he thought was Professor Callaghan waving at him with a smile. Satisfied, the officer sat down to continue his watch. Unbeknownst to the officer, the real Callaghan floated past him, continuing to follow the group.

The compound was vast and seemed like a labyrinth, navigating through various hallways. Until suddenly, they walked into a room that appeared like a simple storage room. Abigail spoke into her earpiece, "Okay, Auntie Grace. We're ready." All of a sudden, the wall shifted to reveal a secure elevator. The optical camouflage hiding Callaghan deactivated, as the group entered the hidden elevator. It began to descend, taking quite some time as it navigated through the depths under the surface of Akuma Island.

The door opened, revealing a vast underground compound. There was a massive space, where the machine would surely be constructed and housed. The group walked into another room, more holographic monitors spanned throughout it with a holographic panel at its center. Professor Granville immediately greeted her old colleague, "Robert. Welcome." She walked up to him and they hugged, as she continued, "I'm relieved we could get you here, old friend." Callaghan smiled, "Thank you, Grace. It's good to be here with you."

Looking over Granville's shoulder, the professor noticed another group looking towards him. It was Honey Lemon, Fred, Baymax and Gogo who had went ahead of them. He noted that they looked hesitant or apprehensive to greet him so warmly. But it was Baymax who broke up the awkward re-introduction between them, walking up to the professor, "/Hello, Professor Callaghan. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion./"

Professor Callaghan smiled, "Hey, Baymax. It's… good to see you again." He looked at the robot, remarking to himself that Tadashi had truly created a wonderful machine that reflected the same gentle and kind heart of its creator. It reinforced his desire to help them retrieve the original model that was left behind to save his daughter and Hiro.

With a deep breath, Honey Lemon stepped forward next to Baymax, outstretching her hand towards her former professor, "Welcome, Professor Callaghan." The old professor was surprised but shook her hand, "Thank you, Miss Honey Lemon." Although it hurt her to have lost her friend, Tadashi, Honey Lemon did truly believe that there was good in everyone and she wanted to believe that the professor was doing this to make amends. She was a kind-hearted young woman, and she wanted to be able to forgive him, to give him the opportunity to make it up to them and to Tadashi. The professor understood their apprehension, but he was grateful to Honey Lemon for being open. He looked towards Gogo, who curtly nodded towards him without a word.

Callaghan looked towards a corner of the lab room, seeing a young boy in a white lab coat covering his normal red shirt and khaki shorts. The boy was holding his forearm and held a rather disgruntled expression. The professor murmured, not knowing how to approach the boy, "Hiro…" The young genius looked to him, speaking with an effort to be courteous, "Hey, Professor… Thank you for agreeing to help us, Professor Callaghan."

The professor's eyes lowered with a sullen expression, but he smiled, "Thank you for having me, Hiro. Everyone. Thank you, for fighting to get me here. I promise all of you, I will do everything I can to make this right and make sure we get your friend back. I owe it to you all… I owe it to him. I am grateful for this opportunity, we'll get Baymax back." The professor looked at Baymax, then to the rest of the folks within the lab room. Hiro looked down, thinking about Tadashi and the first Baymax. It hurt to be around Professor Callaghan, but he thought about Aunt Cass consoling young Tadashi and that Tadashi would console the boy the same way. This was a step towards healing for all of them, and a step towards having Tadashi's Baymax back. Without knowing what to say, the young boy simply nodded towards Professor Callaghan.

Abigail placed her hand on her father's shoulder, smiling at him. "Thank you, Dad," she said as she hugged him warmly for the first time in what seemed like ages. They remained there for a moment, a tear falling down Callaghan's face, "My baby girl… It's so good to finally hug you again…" Baymax blinked as Honey Lemon put her hands together, smiling at their warm reunion. After a while, they released from their embrace. Abigail then walked to stand next to Hiro, placing a hand on his shoulder to make sure that the boy was okay. The boy smiled at her and nodded with determination. Abigail turned around to address everyone in the lab room, "Now, the team has finally been fully assembled. We can commence with the rebuilding of the portal and getting our rescue mission underway. Project Penitent Sparrow can truly begin."

* * *

**Author's Note: I was glad to write this chapter but changed it quite a few times until I was happy with this one. I wanted to provide more of a background story to Tadashi and Aunt Cass losing the Hamada boys' parents, as well as Tadashi's famous San Fransokyo Ninjas hat. **

**And it was fun to introduce Dr. Catmull, since there was practically nothing about him except Hiro mentioning the "Callaghan-Catmull Spline" in the movie when he first met Professor Callaghan. So, completely took the liberty to make his character as a close colleague of Callaghan's.**

**We are drawing closer towards the "end game" of the Penitent Sparrow arc this whole series has been building up to. Quite a few more chapters to go, but I do plan to continue this take on the Big Hero-verse going further into Liv Amara's arc as well. Plenty more to come! Thanks again for reading. Hope you enjoy! **


	30. Storm Before the Calm

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, work hasn't been very accommodating for time to sit down and write. But here we go! I apologize for the angst of these chapters but I think we are entering more emotional territories. Also! I apologize, I have now uploaded the correct chapter for Chapter 17: Test Flight. So if you have not been able to read that chapter, please feel free to look at it and again, my apologies for reposting an old chapter on accident. But please enjoy this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 30: Storm Before the Calm**

Professors Granville and Callaghan stood beside each other, they were working on several design schematics for different countermeasures for the most pressing issue on their minds: losing Hiro and Abigail to the other side of the Penitent Sparrow portal. It wracked their brains with anxiety, the thought of losing them to that cold, desolate dimension. And especially for Professor Callaghan, it was his worst nightmare that had already tipped him to edge and the real possibility of reliving the trauma was not lost on him.

Resting his elbows on the desk in front of him, the old professor ran his hands through his graying hair as he let out a heavy sigh, "Grace… We're sending them to a whole other dimension, anything can happen…" He was able to help provide a preliminary schematic of the original Silent Sparrow model, all through his own memories and experiences with that machine. But what he was unable to do, was figure out how to lessen the risks of losing Abigail and Hiro.

Professor Granville put her hand on his shoulder, "C'mon, Robert. We have a few ideas to work off of, but this is exactly why we are having Hiro and Gogo work on the magnetic containment field. It's important we have that portal up and running at all times during the rescue mission." The two professors looked towards the other side of the lab, Hiro and Gogo were overlooking a holographic display of the Penitent Sparrow machine. Between them, their knowledge of magnetism was proving to be invaluable in approaching the original design's magnetic containment field. After all, it was a catastrophic failure in that system that had caused the first portal to destroy itself.

Moreover, Professor Granville was able to create a comprehensive safety protocol and develop strict safety parameters that completely overhauled the original parameters. If there was even a hint of an irregularity that would be deemed too risky by Granville's stringent standards, the team would not be able to proceed with operating Penitent Sparrow. Grace's own careful nature, which often border-lined on being excessively cautious, was becoming a key asset to ensuring that each risk was mitigated and thoroughly addressed.

It was already quite some time that they were working to get Project Penitent Sparrow underway. While it proved to be an odd dynamic to have Professor Callaghan around, the boy genius found it to be more productive to work on separate components of the project and have minimal yet courteous interactions with Callaghan.

Lest the boy become terribly distracted by overwhelming emotions and thoughts. But it certainly hasn't been the best of night's sleep for either the boy or the old professor. In being in each other's presence and working on this project, the two were forced to confront personal demons that haunted them. Hiro being around the man who took his brother away, and that very man working fervently in penitence for his past actions.

While all of the team was working on various aspects of the project, Fred was sitting in a corner reading one of his comics. They figured they would let him do his own thing while they worked, after all. But the eccentric young man suddenly jumped out of his seat and startled Callaghan and Granville. "Professors! I have a brilliant idea for the both of you!" he exclaimed, smiling at Professor Granville who was staring annoyedly at the young man who was not even one of her students.

"And what would that be, Mr. Frederickson?" she said with reluctant interest, although she had to admit that Fred's eccentric nature and interests did allow him to come up with outlandish, "outside-the-box" solutions. Both of the professors looked to him, wondering where this was going. Fred waved his hand as if to present something, "In the movie, 'The Son of Kentucky Kaiju vs. The Jovian Menace' a crew of human astronauts befriended the now older son of Kentucky Kaiju, so they could face the impending alien threat coming from Jupiter head on at their own home planet. On a giant space ship, in order to get there-"

Professor Granville interrupted with annoyance, warning, "Mr. Frederickson! I would hope there is a point to this story. Do not make me regret humoring your shenanigans." Fred simply bowed, "Don't worry, Professor. These are premium lessons we can glean from the most respected forms of modern-day story-telling: movies." Granville and Callaghan looked to each other, Professor Callaghan simply motioned towards him, "Please, continue…"

Fred smiled, "Ok. Ok. So, in order to get to Jupiter, the crew transported the son of Kentucky Kaiju and themselves through very, very fast space travel. But it wasn't quite that fast yet, nothing like a portal… So, they had to place themselves in frozen containers, so it was like they just slept. I mean, now that I think about it, it was like a _really_ big frozen container for Kentucky Kaiju's son. Oh, and they named the son, Kenny. And-" Professor Callaghan motioned again towards Fred, "That's a very inspired solution, young man. Thank you. I think I know exactly what you are getting at."

The old professor looked to his colleague, who simply nodded in understanding. Professor Granville smiled, "Indeed. Thank you, Mr. Frederickson. That was brilliant." Fred was slightly taken aback by the positive reception, then ran with it, "It is? Yeah! I told you it would be brilliant, didn't I?"

Professor Granville nodded, "Yes, it is. Cryogenic chambers. We can create a lifeboat with cryogenic chambers and extended life-support systems. A fail-safe contingency plan for if the portals are not functioning or fail, leaving them stranded for an unknown amount of time." Callaghan chimed in, "We don't know the exact nature of that dimension or why my Abigail was able to remain there in suspension. We can't count that it can always be that way. That place may run on a different set of rules than our own dimension. But having a lifeboat with life-support and cryogenic chambers could make it more certain that they would have a safe haven to wait in, should the worst happen…"

Fred nodded with feigned understanding, "Exactly what I was thinking…" Callaghan did not like the possibility of them being stranded, but if it did happen, this would be one way to address the issue and ensure their survival. A thought occurred to the old professor, "We'll need a stable energy source to ensure the life support systems can be maintained nearly indefinitely. The systems will have to run efficiently, we can't be certain for how long they may have to wait."

Professor Granville looked to Hiro, "Well, it just so happens that our young boy genius here has the right device for the job." Granville was well aware that the boy was continuing to develop other energy source devices that were devised through lessons learned in creating the energy amplifier. But the actual energy amplifier would remain within her safekeeping. Although, Hiro was working with Gogo on their aspects of the project, the boy was well aware of their conversation and looked up to see Granville looking to him. He smiled shyly and waved at her, realizing that Granville was aware of his projects. He felt like he got caught in the act, "I've been extra cautious making those devices so Abigail's suit won't shut down on her out of nowhere. And besides! It's working on a far lower output than the energy amplifier. So it's not so dangerous to reproduce-"

Granville smiled lightly, "Don't worry, Mr. Hamada. I know you have been more cautious with your latest inventions. This is a perfect occasion to use your devices. Just not that particular one, it's still far too volatile." Hiro chuckled as he continued to type away at his tablet. At the other side of the lab, Abigail chimed in as she raised a concern, "A life-boat would be a great fallback, but when I was there… there wasn't a bunch of floating debris. A safe haven is nice if we can deal with the debris effectively. I can design the life-boat but it's going to need to be sturdy. And I mean, _really_ sturdy."

At that moment, Honey Lemon emphatically raised her hand as she gleefully exclaimed, "And I have a chemical solution for just that issue! I was thinking about how I could upgrade yours, Hiro's and Baymax's armor, and my solution for that applies to your life-boat. I'm creating another mixture for a flexible colloid chemical exoskeleton as a protective layer for your guys' armor. I can certainly do the same for some additional protective shielding for the ship, so if any fast-moving debris impacts you or the ship, the colloid fluid particles will enclose and create a barrier. And yes, it comes in pink!"

Hiro laughed, "Could you make mine purple please, Honey Lemon?" The chemistry genius squealed, "Of course, Hiro! I'll match it with your armor!" Standing next to the young boy was Gogo, who looked up, "Isn't that the same one you made for 'Big Yama' when Trengrove tricked us?"

Honey Lemon smiled uneasily, "Yeah… well at least we got to see firsthand how effective it was!" Suddenly, Wasabi looked up with a moment of serendipity, "Yeah… Trengrove also had me create a plasma projectile weapon. I think it would help to have those on your life-boat. Perhaps we could stage it outside of the portal, use it to also help clear a path for Hiro and Abigail. Not to mention, what will be stopping that debris from entering our side of the portal? I think we could at least have the ship use an automated plasma projectile system to protect the portal from being overrun by Krei Tech debris."

Granville could not help but grin, watching her students rapidly coming up with solutions. They were certainly among SFIT's brightest, and it was a fact that was not lost on her or Professor Callaghan. They were considering various options to minimize the risks of this operation, it was exactly how they needed to approach this, lest they find themselves in another tragedy. Rescuing Baymax was of personal importance to all of them in some way, but the risk of losing Abigail and Hiro still weighed on them.

But Wasabi was right, they needed to ensure that only what they wanted to come to their side of the portal would be able to come in. Having flying debris intruding into the lab would be extremely hazardous. Granville chimed into her students' conversation, "Wasabi is correct. We will need to address the debris from the other side coming in. We will need some form of barrier that we can use to deny entry to debris but will allow Abigail and Hiro to return."

Honey Lemon thought to herself, "Lets only what we want in…a semi-permeable barrier…" Gogo smirked as she looked at Wasabi, thinking about his Krei Tech armor disguise, "We can use the same energy shield system that Ms. Amara used to detain Mr. Knox. We've already recreated it for Wasabi's new armor. With Hiro's energy devices, we could supply the right amount of energy to create a stronger shielding and simply shut it off before they are entering the portal to return."

Professor Callaghan was especially impressed to see his former students work together. They may still be young students from the institution he so loved, but he could tell that they were continually growing as scientists in their fields. It pained him that he was not able to be their professor and to see their progress himself, but Granville was keeping their progression well on track.

And it was these kinds of solutions that helped assuage his fears and anxieties over his daughter crossing back over to that distant dimension. The old professor looked through the window of the lab, seeing a halo-shaped frame of the portal machine currently in its beginning stages of construction. During this discussion, Callaghan could not help but think about the original Silent Sparrow. Painful memories flooding back to him…

* * *

Around Professor Callaghan, the surroundings of the new lab were instantly replaced by the original Silent Sparrow lab. Reliving his memory of the setting, he remembered standing before Abigail as they stood next to her pod before their live demonstration of their test flight into Silent Sparrow.

Professor Callaghan could hear the words spoken on that very day. "Please don't give me that look, Dad. Everything will be okay. I am the best pilot for the job, after all," Abigail spoke confidently in an attempt to reassure her father. Professor Callaghan chuckled, "Sorry… You know I will always worry. But even then… seeing you now... I'm proud of you, Abigail. And I know your mother would be so proud of you. Perhaps, jealous even. Knowing her, she would've wanted to be the first to enter another dimension, but I know she would be okay if the first person happened to be our little Abigail instead."

Abigail smiled warmly at her father, "Thanks, Dad. I know she will always be watching after me no matter where I go. She'll make sure I'm safe." Callaghan smiled, "That's right." They came together for a warm embrace, pulling away as the proud father looked to his daughter in his arms. He nodded at her, making sure his face did not betray him and show his dread, "I'll be waiting here for you on this side. When you get back, let's celebrate. I was thinking we could go to Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater for a show and grab ice cream this weekend if you'd like?"

With a shaking of her head, Abigail laughed, "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad. Don't tell me you are going to bring that old Kabuki mask with you, too?" Callaghan laughed, "You act as if you wouldn't enjoy it. And do you think I would lose that mask you gave me when you were a little girl?"

Shrugging her shoulders casually, Abigail admitted, "You're right. I would love that, Dad. I'll bring mine too, then." Suddenly, they heard one of the Krei Tech engineers yell out to them, "The capsule's diagnostic systems check out. She's ready for her flight and all yours, Miss Callaghan." Abby nodded courteously towards the engineer, then placed her white helmet on her head as she looked towards her father.

Professor Callaghan could see his own reflection in her helmet, noticing that his face still carried a look of worry. He forced a smile at his daughter, looking beyond the reflection and into her eyes, "Go give them a show, hotshot." Abigail smirked, "I intend to. Should be a short ride, I'll be back soon for celebratory ice cream. Your treat, of course." She winked, stepping into the capsule cockpit and readying the systems.

Stepping away into another room, his eyes never left his daughter as she prepared for work. As short moments passed, he watched as the capsule was set in place. He held his breath, suddenly witnessing the ship being projected into the blue wavy surface of the active portal.

_A distant voice crept into this flashback, "Robert? Are you okay?"_

In an instant, the second Silent Sparrow portal where Abigail was supposed to return through burst into flames that engulfed the machine. Callaghan's heart sank when he heard the intercom relay the message, "We've lost all contact with the pilot."

Suddenly, the lab was being torn apart as debris was being pulled violently into the remaining portal. "No! Abigail! ABIGAAAILLLL!" Callaghan yelled as his entire world was crumbling around him. Abruptly, the remaining portal shut down as debris began to fall around it.

_Another voice crept in and was louder than the previous intruding voice, "Dad? What's going on? Dad?"_

With complete pain and anger, Callaghan found himself sprinting up to the control room and reaching for Alistair Krei, "You did this! You knew it wasn't ready! Bring her back! Turn it back on, bring back my Abigail!"

* * *

"DAD!"

Professor Callaghan regained his senses, his surroundings returning to the new sublevel lab underneath Akuma Island in the present day. With confusion, he looked down to see Abigail who was looking to him with concern. He soon realized that he had actually yelled those last words from his flashback and that he was actually attempting to grab the present-day Alistair Krei. Needless to say, Krei's expression matched his same expression when Callaghan first attempted to get to him during the incident. Callaghan looked around, seeing everyone's face of concern and shock as they stared at him.

"Hey… Dad. It's okay, I'm here… I'm here, it's okay," Abigail said softly and reassuringly to console her father. Professor Callaghan realized that he was gripping her tightly, almost hurting her, he then quickly released her. "Abby, I'm so sorry… You guys… Alistair… I didn't mean to…" the old professor clutched his head, a palm along his forehead as he stepped back. Surely, being at Akuma Island, around the infantile Penitent Sparrow machine, was causing the professor a lot of anxiety. But now it seemed that the memories, emotions and flashbacks were becoming more vivid and intrusive.

However, the next voice that spoke up surprised everyone. Hiro stepped forward, his hands up to calm the professor, "I think you should rest, Professor. You've been working almost non-stop every day since you came here."

Despite his mixed feelings towards Professor Callaghan, he had to recognize that the man was making a concerted effort to work on this project. And they were working on the very project that took Abigail away, the initial traumatic event that set everything in motion.

Hiro continued, "Thanks to your input, we have almost everything we need to build the new design. Go rest." It was almost more an order than a recommendation. Professor Callaghan looked to the boy, noticing the heavy eye bags on the young boy. They both were worn out. He smiled towards the boy prodigy, "Yeah... I think you're right. I'll go turn in for a bit. I think you should do the same, Hiro."

The young genius faintly smirked, "I'll be alright, thanks. I'm still young, I can work for a bit longer." Professor Callaghan chuckled lightly, noting the boy's playful jab at their differences in age. The two were surprised they could share a lighter moment between them, but perhaps they needed that.

Saying good bye to the team, Professor Callaghan left the lab room with Abigail following him so she could make sure her father was okay. Before she exited, she turned towards Hiro and smiled, "Thanks, Hiro." She nodded towards everyone else and left to keep her father company.

Gogo and Honey Lemon walked over to Hiro. Honey Lemon tenderly rubbing the boy's back, "I think the professor has a good point, you should go rest too, Hiro." Gogo then ruffled the boy's hair, "Yeah, you look like a fluffy puppy that could use a nap, already." Hiro lightly swatting Gogo's hand as he turned to smile at them weakly, his tone attempting to reassure them he was doing okay, "Really, I'm fine, guys!"

The young genius walked off, but before they could reach for him, Professor Granville stopped them. Professor Granville stepped in, "Leave him be for now, I think the work helps him process all of this. I suppose Mr. Hamada and Robert are the same in that regard, they bury themselves in work. Give him a bit, though. We'll check on him in a while." The students nodded, watching the young boy walk up to the halo-shaped frame of Penitent Sparrow.

Putting on a neurotransmitter device on his head, the glowing lights streaming along it as it activated, Hiro began to assume control over a massive amount of microbots. The hundreds upon hundreds of tiny machines worked in tandem to put together components of the portal machine together according to Hiro's control. Thanks to Professor Callaghan's design of the machine, which was also in collaboration with Professor Granville, Hiro, and Wasabi, the boy was able to continue on its construction.

As the portal machine was coming together, piece by piece, Hiro thought about Professor Callaghan's traumatic flashback and outburst. Surely, he knew that the Silent Sparrow incident had tipped the professor to the edge and to the point of homicidal intent, but he did not expect to see how much the man was tormented by it. Hiro recognized that the professor truly loved his daughter, and Hiro has easily become so close to Abigail to understand that the professor was a good man who helped raise Abby to become an incredible person. Someone the boy has come to regard as a close sister-figure, like Gogo and Honey Lemon.

In truth, had it been Tadashi who was lost to the other side of Silent Sparrow like Abigail was, would Hiro have reacted differently? There was hatred and sorrow directed towards the professor, for the role he played in Tadashi losing his life. But Hiro recognized that Callaghan had suffered the loss of both his wife and daughter, changing him into someone he was not. And Hiro's hatred and grief, left unchecked, had momentarily changed him to be willing to take a life. Something that Tadashi would never have wanted him to turn towards.

The boy dwelled on these reflections, as he seemed to be locked in a trance. All the while, the fated portal machine that started all of their troubles was now coming back together to reconnect with a remnant of Tadashi, the first Baymax model…

After working more on their contingency planning, Professor Granville and the students later checked up on the boy prodigy. They peeked around to see that he was no longer actively putting the machine together. Instead, the boy was nodding his head up and down as he fought to remain awake. His concentration being erratic and intermittent, the microbots were constantly undulating up and down with each of his attempts to stay awake.

Gogo's face became both frustrated and determined, "That boy. That's it…" She quickly grabbed the hand of Baymax and dragged him along with her as she quickly approached the sleepy young boy. Baymax came along, simply uttering, "/Oh./" The others simply watched her and the healthcare companion, with Gogo quickly snatching the neurotransmitter device from Hiro's head. The boy's messy hair now even more puffed up, he drowsily looked up at Gogo with an incredulous look, "Hey, Gogo… I'm using that…"

Gogo had a stern look that made the boy visibly recoil, "I'm only going to say this once. Go to sleep, Hiro." But the boy still reached up towards the neurotransmitter, "But, I don't want to…" Suddenly, the young boy was scooped up by the white vinyl arms of his healthcare companion, now being cradled like a little child. He protested weakly, "B-Baymax? Put me down-"

"/It is important to get the adequate amount of sleep for optimal health and productivity. I will help you to bed, Hiro/" The robot activated his warm internal heater and rocked the boy gently, as the boy muttered, "No, there is still things to…" Despite his attempts, Hiro's eyes began to become too heavy and he fell fast asleep. Honey Lemon attempted to push the boy's hair down into a more manageable level of messiness, "Aww, how cute. Now he really can't fight it." Honey Lemon smiled warmly and cooed, "Get some rest, Hiro." Gogo ruffled his head and quickly undid Honey Lemon's work, "Stubborn boy. You can work on it after you get some sleep."

They walked off to put the boy into some sleeping quarters within the sub-level lab. They were able to remain there overnight, thanks to Professor Granville personally explaining to Aunt Cass that they were going to work on a special project off-campus outside of San Fransokyo. It was sort of true, after all. Granville looked towards her sleeping young prodigy and shook her head and smiled. Her gaze now shifting towards a nearly completed portal machine, it eerily stood there.

Thinking she was alone, Granville was startled to hear Abigail's voice, "That kid really is something, isn't he? The things he can do and put together, it's easy to forget he's just a kid. Other times, it's easy to see when he's being a stubborn child." Professor Granville laughed, "Yes, well we are all stubborn at times. Your father, especially. How's he doing, Abby?"

Abby smiled, "He's better now, just resting too. He's always been stubborn, though." They chuckled, then gazed up at the nearly complete Penitent Sparrow that towered within the open hangar of the lab. Thanks to Hiro's masterful use of the microbots, it was rapidly coming together with an unprecedented speed. Granville spoke seriously, "It's almost time, isn't it?" Abigail nodded, both realizing that they would be able to see into the other side very soon. Walking up to touch the surface of the machine, she simply answered to Granville, "Yes. This show is about to get started."

* * *

As the days went by, the team was able to finalize the construction of Penitent Sparrow and their various safety measures in place. Due to the efforts of the team, Hiro and Professor Callaghan were reigned in and ensured that they would not overwork themselves. It was finally time to test the portal's opening into that other dimension and send in a reconnaissance drone in to observe the current conditions.

The team looked anxiously towards the halo-shaped machine, as Fred jumped up and down rapidly and giddily in excitement. The eccentric young man broke up their collective anxiety, "Oh, this is it, guys! The next chapter in our Phase 2 story! And now, enters the 'Penitent Sparrow.'"

Alistair Krei stepped up, "Yes. Mrs. Granville, the floor is all yours." Mr. Krei and the others all unanimously agreed that Professor Granville would be the one to assume command of the project's execution of its operations. Her cautious and fast-thinking nature made her the obvious choice to oversee the testing and operation of Penitent Sparrow.

Professor Granville stood by her colleague, Professor Callaghan, and nodded towards him. She spoke to the team, "We will commence the testing of the machine's functions and conduct an initial reconnaissance of the other side. How are the readings looking, Wasabi? Gogo?" At the front monitors, Gogo and Wasabi looked at the diagnostics. Wasabi looked towards Granville, "All systems diagnostics are running without any issues. Systems are ready for activation."

Gogo continued, "The magnetic containment fields are operational and ready to stabilize the portal connection as soon as we establish telemetry." Granville nodded, satisfied that their stringent safety measures were ready, "Good. Wasabi, start her up." Wasabi took a deep breath, his hand hovering over the activation switch, "Please work. Please work. Please work." He continued to mutter to himself, finally getting himself to switch it on.

The team collectively looked towards the machine, a brilliantly blue wave cascaded between the empty spaces of the halo. The blue glow had shone brightly in their eyes… it worked. An energy shield created a barrier to ensure nothing would inadvertently enter their dimension. But… the machine was indeed active. They wanted to celebrate but Granville kept them on track, "Status report on the readings."

Remaining concentrated, Gogo responded, "All safety measures and readings are shown normal. Protective barrier is operational. Magnetic containment field is nominal, with no irregularities or anomalies detected in the machine's operations." It was only then that Granville could let herself calm down a little, but by her nature, she remained cautious and alert.

Professor Callaghan noticed his daughter looking at him. He looked back at her, seeing that she was smiling at him. He smiled lightly, then looked towards the machine again. He was watching it keenly, trying to see if he was confident that this design was far more ready for this task than the previous Silent Sparrow.

Granville spoke towards Hiro and Abby, "Okay, you two. Time to send that drone in. Wasabi, prepare to momentarily shut down that protective barrier so we can insert the drone into the portal." Wasabi nodded as he looked towards his monitor, "Protective barrier ready to shut down for drone entry." Abigail responded, "Preparing to launch the drone." The launch runway for the drone moved up to align with the bright undulating portal surface. With a sharp announcement, Abby warned, "Launching drone in 3…2…1!"

The railing of the runway rapidly launched the drone pod into the portal, quickly disappearing into the blue surface. Hiro quickly initiated the drone, advising everyone, "Okay, guys. I still have positive communication and control of the drone. Visual telemetry should be coming on shortly…"

The team anxiously looked at a large screen above them in the control room. It suddenly came on, as the screen was filled with chaotic swirls and tendrils of purple gas clouds that haphazardly flowed throughout the foreign dimension. For the others, this was a completely new sight, it was hauntingly beautiful and unknown. They all remained speechless, seeing it for the first time. For Abigail and Hiro, something was… different from their last encounter with that side…

Hiro spoke first, "It wasn't like this before. It looks more…" Abigail finished for him, "…volatile." Unlike when they had last seen this strange place, it was now as if that entire dimension was caught in a violent storm of clouds that was swiftly shifting the debris in nearly unpredictable directions and at more alarming speeds despite their size. It was abundantly clear that the other dimension had become incredibly dangerous. Truthfully, they have no conception of the laws and nature of that dimension. The raging storm was an unprecedented development. But Hiro muttered to himself with concern, "Baymax…"

Quickly getting to work, Hiro began a rapid scan of the immediate area with the drone as a large holographic monitor in the middle of the lab began to populate a display of its readings. He was hoping that he could pinpoint Baymax right this moment. The data was continually streaming in and updating the display in near real-time, when suddenly it halted abruptly. It became obvious that the drone feed was disrupted since the drone had been suddenly destroyed by incoming debris. To everyone's concern, they suddenly witnessed the energy protective barrier being bombarded by copious amounts of debris that could have easily began to puncture through the lab.

Granville spoke firmly, "It's way too volatile at the moment! Shut her down, Wasabi!" As the blue portal faded away quickly, Hiro looked down in worry and disappointment. He was worried for the first Baymax model, he wondered if it was able to survive through the celestial storm and the tempest of debris. And perhaps just as worrisome, Professor Callaghan and Professor Granville looked towards Abby and Hiro, with obvious apprehension towards them physically entering under these conditions. But Abigail wasn't going to let this be a setback, she placed her hands along Hiro's shoulders and looked the boy in the eyes, "Hey, we're not giving up on him."

Professors Callaghan and Granville looked to each other, with Granville speaking firmly, "That's a far too dangerous environment to be in, Abby. We can't proceed." Callaghan spoke with apprehension and concern, "Abigail, I know this means a lot to all of us. But… I… we can't risk losing you two."

She looked up towards her father, Granville and the others, addressing them, "We're not giving up on Baymax. We will just have to find a way to approach this with extreme caution, but we are not giving up. We're too close now to not try. There has to be a way. Please, Aunt Grace. Dad…"

Hiro picked his head up and looked towards the others, "Baymax is still out there... I know it. We can't just leave him. Someone has to help, and we are right here. It is dangerous, but we have some of the most brilliant minds here. We can find a way to do this. My brother always said… 'look for new angle.' He never gave up on me. And Abby is right, we can't give up on Baymax. He's waited for far too long to come home. We'll find another angle. So, please. Don't just write him off."

Professor Callaghan looked towards the young boy, noticing the determined conviction in his eyes. They were not just eyes that were simply pleading, nor were they of overconfidence or reckless abandon. It was then that he could truly see Tadashi in the boy. That they were truly brothers. He saw the eyes that Tadashi had every time his testing of Baymax's programming failed. The eyes of determination to help others and to never give up.

With a soft chuckle, Callaghan remarked, "Hmph… It may not be my place to say this… But you truly are like your brother, Hiro. You have that same tenacious and admirable spirit he had. We won't give up on Tadashi's Baymax. We'll find a way to find him and bring him back, even through the storm." The old professor looked to his fellow professor, nodding to her that he wanted to continue somehow with the rescue mission. Even though he was completely terrified of losing Abigail, he did want to rescue Baymax and honor Tadashi. And to especially make it up to his younger brother, Hiro.

Professor Granville reluctantly nodded while she sighed heavily, "Very well. Looks like we are back to more planning… but the rescue mission will continue." If Callaghan was willing to continue along with them, then she would just have to continue advising and seeing how they can mitigate the risks.

"Thank you, Professor Granville… And thank you too… Professor Callaghan…" Hiro spoke with appreciation, understanding that the two were relenting despite their immense concerns for them. Especially Professor Callaghan, who was still demonstrating his desire to make it up to Hiro, even through his own traumas and anxiety.

Hiro could only think of one of Tadashi's favorite sayings that helped him during his Judo training, "_Fall seven times. Stand up eight_." They weren't going to give up, even with these new conditions…

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, this is it, folks. The next chapter will be the beginning to this story arc's finale. Stay tuned for Chapter 31: Penitent Sparrow (Part One)!**


	31. Penitent Sparrow (Part One)

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 31: Penitent Sparrow (Part One)**

It had already been two weeks ever since they discovered the Silent Sparrow dimension was experiencing a massive storm. Through the use of unmanned drones, they were able to observe the trends of when the storm was at its most severe and when the inclement weather waned down. Professor Callaghan and Professor Granville sat in the lab, looking through data readings and visual feeds of drones before they were destroyed or experienced interference in the storm.

Professor Granville remarked, "Robert, there is no telling if this storm will come to pass anytime soon." She looked around, being sure that no one else was in their sublevel lab but them as she continued, "Who's to say that Baymax's robotic chassis could even survive or be salvageable in that mess?"

Callaghan nodded, acknowledging and sharing her concerns, but he responded, "We just have to have faith that he's still out there, Grace. The kids are all determined to see this through…" Granville sighed, "Yes… Well, they have been making preparations to handle the rigors of the other side. I think… at this point we can only move forward with executing the retrieval mission but find the right time to approach when the storm is at its lowest severity."

Looking at the data, they looked at the trends and when there was a decline in inclement activity. Looking at the data they collected over the last two weeks, if it were to follow similar patterns, there would be an "acceptable" lull coming up within two days before the celestial storm completely polarized back to an unforgiving tempest. Callaghan pulled up a holographic schematic, "Yes… The intervals where the storm peaks are getting longer in duration. It looks like the storm will just get worst… Our small window of opportunity is approaching then…. I'd hate for Abigail and Hiro to go in there, but they are both adamant about this. This may be our only shot at this."

The old professor ran his hand through his graying hair, sighing heavily after a long pause, "Grace… Are we doing the right thing here? Am I doing the right thing for Hiro and Abigail…? For Tadashi…?" Granville looked at her old friend and colleague, she allowed a comforting smile on her face as she looked him in the eyes, "Robert, we both have our concerns on how this could go. But at the same time, you are doing right by Abby and Hiro. They need this to heal. And you need this, too. I never got the chance to make amends or try to honor Bob. And I fear I will never be able to honor his legacy, who he was to become before that horrible accident… But you have the opportunity to make amends to the Hamadas. All we can do is set the conditions for them and keep faith that we made all the necessary preparations to ensure mission success. But at this point, it has to be your decision to be okay with proceeding. Are you ready for this?"

Standing up from his seat and walking up to the monitor that was playing a visual recording of the swirling purple storm clouds, Callaghan stared at it for a moment as he was deep in thought. Granville merely allowed the man to sift through his thoughts. He thought about the portal opening, remembering when Abigail was lost into the Silent Sparrow dimension. Despite his fears and traumatic memories, he pushed through it. Callaghan calmly turned towards her, "Yes. If we are going to do this, then we have to do it soon. We've made all the preparations we could." With an understanding nod, Granville simply replied, "Then I'll inform Mr. Hamada and Abby. I'm sure they'll be excited."

* * *

It was a surreal environment, a distorted memory that recreated the eerie hangar bay of the original Silent Sparrow lab on Akuma Island. But something was different… it wasn't from the perspective that Hiro had remembered. The young boy noticed he was floating in the air, coming to realize that he was in a semi-lucid dream state. But he was not simply floating, seeing that he was actually inside Baymax's armor… or more so, in this dream he _was_ Baymax.

_Is this a dream? What's going on here?_ He thought to himself.

He heard his own voice, but it was outside of him, at the ground level, "He went there to save you!" Hiro felt uncomfortable, seeing himself from outside of his own body. He saw a vulnerable boy in purple armor, obviously familiar yet almost as if he were another person.

Hiro saw Professor Callaghan standing before the boy beneath him, clad in his long black trench coat. The man retorted with force, "That was his mistake!"

In the dream, Hiro felt himself hover and land behind the "dream-like Hiro" just as Baymax had during that crucial moment. The boy standing in front of him recoiled, then ordered callously, "Baymax. Destroy."

In his semi-lucid state, the real Hiro protested against the dream-like memory of himself, _No… Please, don't do this. Baymax was never meant to hurt another human being…_

As if the dream-like Hiro could sense his protesting, the dream-like figure simply responded, "Not anymore." He punched into Hiro's chest, into Baymax's armor where his access port was. The port opened up, Hiro looked down to see the familiar green healthcare chip extending out of the port as the dreamy apparition of himself grabbed it.

_Don't do this! Please! This isn't what Tadashi would have wanted from you or Baymax! Stop!_

The apparition of himself yanked Tadashi's healthcare chip out and flung it away. It skid on the floor as he and even Professor Callaghan looked with disbelief. For Callaghan, it was a moment that the caring robot his protégé created was now being repurposed to violate one of Callaghan's own Laws of Robotics: _No machine will come to harm a human being_.

But for Hiro, it hurt him to replay this memory from the outside. It was a moment that his pain and anger had consumed him to the point of forgetting about Tadashi and his ideals. To literally discard Baymax's healthcare chip was to discard Tadashi himself. It was oddly poetic to see himself from the outside, because at that very moment, he became someone else entirely like a stranger. The boy deeply regretted this, as he pleaded that he woke from the nightmare.

But it continued, with the nightmarish apparition of himself ordering angrily, "Do it, Baymax. Destroy him!" His voice was laced with venom and murderous intent. In this nightmare, Hiro was forced to see through Baymax's perspective as he attempted to terminate Callaghan with his rocket-propelled fists.

"No, stop Baymax!" Gogo yelled out, but Baymax remorselessly tossed her aside. Baymax continued after Professor Callaghan as Hiro's friends attempted to stop the hulking machine from carrying out his orders. _Please! Stop this! Don't hurt them! _Hiro pleaded, he wanted to get out of this nightmare.

From the perspective of the armored Baymax, Hiro saw his fist aim towards Callaghan. But his arm was pushed away by a white-armored figure. This was different from his memories, quickly realizing that it was Abigail who was frantically trying to stop Baymax from murdering her father. She yelled and pleaded, "Baymax! Please stop! He's my father! Hiro! Please, don't do this!"

But Baymax swung his arm and swatted Abigail away, flinging her across the hanger. Hiro screamed as he looked towards her, _Abby! No, please! Stop this! Someone, please!_ Baymax looked up towards Professor Callaghan, who was lifting himself and a portion of Silent Sparrow up with the microbots. Aiming his fist towards the Kabuki-masked professor, the thrusters were priming for the fist to launch at its target.

_Baymax! Stop! Don't kill him! _ Hiro continued to plead, seeing from the robot's perspective. Suddenly, his vision went from red to clear again, looking down to see that the healthcare chip was now being re-installed into Baymax's access port. But instead of Honey Lemon standing before Baymax, it was a comforting and familiar figure. Looking down, Hiro could see the black baseball cap with the iconic San Fransokyo Ninjas emblem, a familiar smile underneath the hat.

Tadashi looked up towards him with a warm smile, speaking directly to Hiro, "Look at all the trouble you got yourself into, Knucklehead. For someone with such a big brain under that bed head of yours, you always were the hot-head between us. Seriously… What would mom and dad think?"

Without warning, Hiro switched perspectives to himself as he saw his beloved older brother standing next to the armored and docile Baymax. Tadashi looked to his younger brother, walking up to him and hugging him, "Stop tormenting yourself, little brother." Even though he knew this was a dream, Hiro relished the moment but was at a loss of words, "Tadashi… I'm sorry I-"

Tadashi spoke kindly, "I know. You don't have to apologize. I miss you too. Please. Keep moving forward and let go of that burden, Hiro. And try to lighten up a little! Everything is going to be okay! But right now… you need to wake up." Hiro shook his head emphatically, this time not wanting the dream to end as he buried his head into Tadashi's chest. Tadashi just chuckled, "Sorry, knucklehead. You need to wake up…"

_Hiro, you need to wake up_….

* * *

"Hiro, it's okay. It's just a nightmare. Please, wake up, kid," Abigail's comforting voice was able to reach the sleeping boy genius. Through tear-filled eyes, Hiro looked up to realize he was hugging the soft white vinyl belly of Baymax. Realizing he was not hugging his older brother, the boy stuttered, "B-Baymax?"

Adjusting to his settings, he realized he was in his own bedroom and felt a hand softly caressing his hair. Hiro turned to see Abigail was sitting on his bed and looking at him, she spoke softly, "Hey… it's alright. Another nightmare, huh?" The boy was still adjusting from being awoken from the emotional dream, but quickly got flustered and rubbed his eyes quickly to wipe his tears away.

"Oh! Ab-Abby! When did you-?" Hiro stuttered as he jumped out of bed. Abigail put her arms up to reassure the boy, "Aunt Cass said you were sleeping in unusually later than usual and sent me up to get you for breakfast… Well, technically lunch now... Anyways, I knocked before I came up but when I peeked around, it looked like you were in the middle of a really bad dream."

She handed the boy a towel and a new shirt, as Hiro realized he was profusely sweating during his night terror. Embarrassed, the boy sheepishly took it and wiped his face, "Oh… right. Thanks, Abby… I'm okay now…" He looked at her, remembering his nightmare and how Baymax had harmed her. It may had been just a dream, but Hiro still somehow felt guilty. Abigail picked up on his demeanor, "Hiro, are you really okay? Because honestly, it's quite obvious you haven't been getting the best of sleep, especially as of late. You know… you can talk to me about it, if you are okay to."

Hiro looked down at his towel and then sat beside Abigail on his bed. He quietly spoke, "I'm sorry, Abby…" Abigail simply cocked her head slightly, a soft expression curiously looking to the boy, "Why are you sorry, Hiro?" But the boy simply looked down and fidgeted with the towel in his hand.

"Back then… there was a time when I almost had Baymax take your father's life…" Hiro said, sadness and regret felt with each of his words. In truth, Abigail knew this. But they had never truly addressed this between them. Abby looked at Baymax and then spoke softly to the boy, "Was that what you were just dreaming about?"

Hiro merely nodded his head, unable to look her in the eyes. Abigail took a deep breath and then reached around the boy to grab his other shoulder, gently pulling him to her as she hugged him. She smiled, "You really need to stop tormenting yourself, kid. You were hurting and grieving. I'm… glad you didn't take my father's life. And you realized what he could not with me… that exacting revenge wouldn't have been what Tadashi would've wanted. You did that out of pain. But you're a good kid at heart, Tadashi would be proud of the things you set out to do. You don't have to apologize to me, I know… I could never hold that against you. Don't feel like you've wronged me. My father is alive because you stopped him and showed him the errors in his ways. And besides, look at us now. You've practically became my kid brother. I care about you a lot, Hiro."

With a soft smile, Hiro laughed, "Thanks, Abby. I care about you and I wouldn't want to hurt you or any of the others, too. It's just been one crazy ride, you know?" He hugged her back as they were there for a moment, Baymax waddled over and hugged them both. The healthcare companion never missed a cue for an appropriate time for a group hug. But he also never missed a cue to provide advice in the interest of maintaining the young boy's health, "/Hiro, you have experienced an episode of night terrors with profuse diaphoresis. It is important that you also change into dry clothing before you get sick./"

Hiro quickly pulled back from Abby and Baymax, remembering that he was absolutely soaked from sweating due to his intense nightmare. His face turned red, "I'm sorry, guys! I- umm… I'll be right down with you guys, going to wash up first." Abigail got up as she playfully wiped her dress shirt where she was hugging the boy, seeing that his sweat had lightly moistened a portion of her shirt, "No worries, kid. Get dressed up. I'll see you down at the café with Aunt Cass."

Abigail took Baymax with her downstairs, letting Hiro get himself ready. The boy immediately rushed with his towel and new shirt towards his bathroom shower so he could wash up. It didn't take him long to get ready as he rushed down to the Lucky Cat Café, not wanting to keep Abigail and Aunt Cass waiting on him. It was almost the afternoon and he was sleeping for quite a while.

When he turned to get into the café, he was surprised to see Abigail and Aunt Cass standing next to Professor Granville. Aunt Cass warmly welcomed her nephew, "Hiro! Finally, you're awake! You missed my super breakfast meal I prepared for you! Oh, and your professor is here!"

It was honestly odd to see Professor Granville at the Lucky Cat Café but Hiro waved to his professor, "Hey, Professor Granville! What are you doing here?" Granville simply raised an eyebrow at the boy, "Am I not allowed to visit one of San Fransokyo's best cafés? Or see one of my star students?" Hiro waved his hands across, not meaning anything to be rude but just genuinely curious.

Aunt Cass spoke semi-sternly to her nephew, "Don't be rude, Hiro! Grace tells me that you and your friends did well on your project. She said you guys will be moving forward with the next steps, it's so exciting!" Abigail and Professor Granville looked to the young boy, smiling at him as he quickly processed what was really going on. Hiro's face was lit with surprise, "Wait, do you mean…?"

Professor Granville nodded, "That's right. The International Space Agency has determined that our pilot project is ready for the execution phase. Best bring your 'A' game for this one, Mr. Hamada." For Hiro, he knew that this meant that Professor Granville and even Professor Callaghan had made the call that it was time to act. They were given the green light to continue with their mission.

Clapping her hands together and quickly sliding next to Granville, "Since you guys will be leaving again for the project, I think it would be great to have a celebratory dinner together before you guys go! You will be joining us tonight, right Grace?" Professor Granville was a bit taken aback by her forwardness, remarking to herself that Cass had the same energy as Honey Lemon. Granville respectfully nodded, "I would be honored to join you, Ms. Hamada."

Cass waved her hand, "Ms. Hamada was technically my sister… and well, her mother-in-law, too. Please, call me Cass." Granville smiled, "Very well. Then I would be delighted to join you all tonight, Cass. Thank you for the invitation. My apologies, if you will please excuse me, I will be heading back to my office on campus. I just wanted to come by and personally explain why I'll be stealing your nephew away from home. Thank you again for the lovely cup of coffee."

Gingerly, Aunt Cass jumped up, "Great! Anytime, Grace! Please, stop by anytime. You are always welcome here." Granville briefly smiled, then looked towards her student and Abigail, "I will be seeing you all later, then. Take the time to enjoy the day and do everything you need to before we embark tomorrow."

Abigail pleasantly waved to her, "See you later, Aunt Grace!" Hiro also waved, still finding it odd to have Granville around his more personal life, including their double life as superheroes. But he was ecstatic and completely surprised that they were really going to proceed with the rescue mission. _We are really going to the other side to get him back…_ the boy thought to himself, the thought of it was even more surreal now.

The boy was surprised, broken from being deep in thought, when Aunt Cass abruptly hugged her nephew really tightly, "I'm so proud of you, Hiro! My 'little college man' is doing so many great things!" Hiro smiled warmly and embraced his aunt, squeezing her tightly, "Thanks, Aunt Cass." She was obviously unaware of what they were truly embarking on, lest the overprotective aunt quickly shut down anything the boy tried to do. Especially since he was constantly putting himself at risk… and going to another dimension surely takes the cake there. Right there next to nearly creating a star and risking himself to counteract its shockwave… or carrying a disintegration device across town before it went off. Hiro did not have the heart to make his aunt worry, but he did relish the hug that he could have with her, knowing full well that any time it could be their last.

Interrupting their heartfelt moment, a customer grabbed their attention at the counter, "Lady, you're out of soy milk again… because I spilled it all… again." Aunt Cass pulled away and sighed, as Hiro chuckled, "Duty calls?" Aunt Cass laughed, "As always. I'll have a feast ready, so tell the others! See you tonight, Abby!"

"Of course, Aunt Cass! I'll have to leave early, just to warn you," Abigail laughed, realizing that Aunt Cass did not even ask her if she was able to join them for dinner but correctly assumed she would be going. Aunt Cass smiled, "As long as I get to see you there, if even for a little, I would love it, Abby."

Hiro looked to Abigail, "Shall we get to the lab and make some final preparations?" Abby agreed, as the two began to walk off towards the exit of the café. But Hiro stopped briefly, quickly turning around to run back to Aunt Cass, gingerly saying, "Last hug!" Aunt Cass was caught by surprise, "Whoa, watch the soy milk. Just filled her back up." She turned around, hugging her nephew again warmly.

Abigail couldn't help but smile at the heartfelt moment that those two often shared, it was just so wholesome. He walked back towards Abby at the exit, "See you tonight, Aunt Cass!" Waving goodbye, Aunt Cass yelled back, "Bye, Hiro! Bye, Abby!" They both waved at Aunt Cass, now leaving to make some final preparations at the Akuma Island sublevel lab.

* * *

The whole team stood in a circle, surrounding a large table that provided a holographic display of the most recent data scan of the area around the dimensional portal. The only person not present for the meeting was Alistair Krei, who was up top at the decoy lab above Akuma Island, working alongside the disguised Dr. Catmull to continue on their cover project with SDARPA. For all intents and purposes, Project Sindri was an actual project with real-world relevance, but most certainly wasn't personally their true priority.

They were now reviewing their plan of attack on how they were going to execute the mission. It was a plan that was primarily devised by Hiro, Abigail, Granville and Wasabi. The latter two being the obvious choice for developing the plan due to their obsessive personalities that completely revolved around caution, preparation and precision.

Granville announced the meeting, "Alright. Let's review our plan and our contingency countermeasures. Abby, please start us off." Abigail stepped forward, showing the imagery of the storm, "As we all are aware, the current conditions of the Silent Sparrow dimension have been tempestuous. For unknown reasons and for how long, there is a storm that has caused the area to be extremely hazardous and made the activity of the debris increasingly volatile. Along with Hiro, Baymax and I, we will have to send various unmanned drones and stage the life boat to support our search-and-rescue efforts for the dormant Baymax."

Wasabi continued the briefing, "This is where all of us will play a part in the operation. While Hiro, Abigail and Baymax are on the other side, the rest of us will have positive control and monitor the unmanned drones. It will be a mad race to find Baymax in the debris, so we have plotted several orbital paths that our drones will travel as they do a wide scan for Baymax. Once any of us has located Baymax, we will converge together and secure him, then support in clearing a path from the debris using the plasma projectile cannons I installed on them."

The rest of the Big Hero 6 team all nodded, the one who nodded most emphatically being of course Fred. He was giddily bouncing around, "Lasers on ships I get to fly!? It'll be like a video game!" Gogo glared at the eccentric young man, as Freddy cleared his throat and corrected himself, "Well… I mean a very high-stakes video game, of course…"

Hiro shook his head and then spoke up, "Once we have located Baymax, it will be important that either Abigail or myself are there to secure him. I've modified Honey Lemon's colloid fluid exoskeleton into a device that will envelope the dormant Baymax so he has a protective barrier. We'll secure him using a combination of microbots and Gogo's mag-lev technology to ensure he remains with us. As Wasabi said… and yes… just like a video game, Fred… we'll have to make our way back to the staged life-support ship and extract ourselves back to this side of the portal."

Granville stepped in, "Professor Callaghan will be overseeing operation of the Penitent Sparrow machine, including the use of the protective barrier against debris and allowing entry. I will be overseeing the operation as a whole. As for our countermeasures for issues we may face, once again I will determine if we are a go for sending Abby, Hiro and Baymax based on the readings. If there are no irregularities, we will proceed with sending the unmanned drones and the life boat, before having Hiro, Abby and Baymax go through the portal. If there is an issue with the portals and they inadvertently shut down or face catastrophic failure, then Abby and Hiro will have to take refuge in the life boat. It is for this reason that we pulled the resources to have a third portal machine created as a back-up as a means to extract them from that dimension, should the original two become non-functioning. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that, of course."

Looking towards Professor Callaghan, Granville asked him, "Is there anything you'd like to add, Robert?" The old professor looked towards them, simply shaking his head, "No, Grace. I think we have covered all that we can, the rest will be up to when we execute the plan. You should all be off now for your dinner. Please… enjoy your time, before we enter this storm." Everyone looked towards Callaghan, then to each other and agreed. They all knew that this was going to be a risky operation, they needed their "calm before the storm." And for Callaghan, he truly wanted to emphasize to them to treasure their time together, fearing the worst could happen tomorrow when they embark through the portal.

As they all began to leave, Abigail stayed behind for a moment with her father. She hugged him as he fondly caressed her head like when she was a child, she spoke reassuring him, "I'll be sure to bring you back some food from Aunt Cass. I won't stay too long, I'll be back to have the rest of my dinner with you, Dad." Callaghan chuckled, she almost sounded like when she was teenager promising not to stay out too late, "Thank you, Abigail. I look forward to that."

She recognized that this was a difficult decision for her father to make, to allow her to enter into that world again. During the original Silent Sparrow incident, she had to admit that she never thought something like that could happen.

Thinking about Hiro and Aunt Cass' adorable "last hug" ritual, Abigail couldn't help but think about if this could be the last time she could really have dinner with her father. Not just because of the dangers of being lost to the other side again or worse. But, also that should things go well, she knew that her father was not truly a free man. Once this special project was done, he would have to return to his prison cell and continue serving his sentence. She wanted to enjoy her time with him when he was truly here for her.

Abigail hugged him again, "I'll see you tonight, Dad." As Abigail left to follow the rest of the team out of the sublevel lab, Callaghan simply watched her and then looked up, "Well, Gale. I hope you are watching our little girl for her next challenges. I've done what I can… or perhaps I've done too much… But I know you'll be with her, as you always have. Please keep her safe again."

* * *

Aunt Cass scurried around with a purpose, moving from each dish she was making and pouring in different ingredients. She was in her own little zone, putting the finishing touches on each recipe. Usually she had a theme or different cultures she would blend for fusion recipes, but this time she decided to recreate her favorite odd recipes from her time competing in the Food Fights, the notorious underground cooking competitions in Good Luck Alley.

Among the assortment of dishes were the several bowls of Gummy Iguana Ostrich Egg Crème Brulee, a set of zesty orange-and-lime soaked veal tacos, an array of Peruvian-style ceviche (a particular favorite of Wasabi's) and an assortment of various sushi and sashimi rolls put together to resemble different animal faces. Proud of her dishes with a sort of nostalgic pride, Aunt Cass raised her graphene knife and admired it. It had a blue transparent quality and made a sharp sound even just shifting through the air, she smiled, "And thank you, Momokase, for the finest blades for me to use for the finest of occasions."

Being that she was undefeated in the underground tournament, she had acquired the personal set of knives from some of the very best professional chefs. For a time, she even had Bolton Gramercy's knives before she graciously returned them for their sentimental value to the celebrity chef. She often rotated among these sets during her time cooking for the Lucky Cat Café or for Hiro and his friends. Even having a room dedicated to these knives. But Momokase's graphene blades held a special place for her, keeping them personally in her room as a memento for her feat in besting San Fransokyo's best sushi chef. She wanted to only use Momokase's graphene blades for special occasions. And being so proud of her nephew's accomplishments, this was one of those occasions.

Hearing the squeaky steps of Baymax, she looked over to see the robotic companion waddling around as he helped set up the plates along the table. She smiled as she saw Baymax place a plate down, only to look at it and then pick it back up to place it just a few centimeters in a different spot to have it perfectly centered with the other plates.

They suddenly heard the doorbell ring, Aunt Cass calling over to Baymax as she attended to one of her eccentric dishes, "Baymax! That should be them, could you get the door for me, please?" She heard the robot squeakily walk down the stairs as he responded, "/Certainly, Aunt Cass./" As the robot carefully waddled down the stairs, he opened it to immediately get a hug from Honey Lemon, "Hey, Baymax!"

The rest of the folks filtered into the Hamada residence, all greeting and being greeted by Baymax. This being the first time Professor Granville had actually stepped into Aunt Cass' and Hiro's place, she stopped in and courteously took off her shoes. Hiro chuckled as he looked back at the door to his professor, "Oh, you don't have to do that, Professor Granville. We're not that traditional. Come on in!"

Granville smiled and put her shoes back on, she followed the young boy up the stairs as the others were taking their seats at the table. She saw Hiro rush to help his aunt with getting the dishes out to the dining table. Aunt Cass looked completely happy to have all of their company, looking to Granville, "Grace! Welcome to our place! Glad you could make it, thank you for coming to join us!"

Professor Granville smiled and nodded courteously, "You have a wonderful home, Cass. I should be the one to thank you for having me." She looked down and was surprised to see such a colorful assortment of various dishes, many with seemingly unique ingredients that distinguished themselves with an interesting flare. She sat down as she looked at their house, noticing the several family pictures strewn throughout the walls.

For Granville, she could only remark to herself that the Hamada family had a certain positivity and tenacity that was infectious and endearing. They had faced loss several times in their life, yet Aunt Cass and Hiro have managed to remain wholesome and strong-willed. Although she did not show it overtly, she had actually become quite fond of Hiro. It is still rather difficult for her to completely show this, for fear that she may lose him as she did with Bob Aken. But in truth, she has come to admire Hiro's strength and potential, but knew that the boy needed guidance and perhaps even protection from his own intellectual pursuits. And now, she was afraid to lose the boy and her "niece" Abigail tomorrow.

Breaking up her deep thought, she saw the young boy place a bowl of crème brulee that had a gummy iguana on top of it. Her eyebrow raised, as Hiro laughed, "I hope you are okay with trying out new things, Professor Granville. I don't know where Aunt Cass gets her ideas. But they usually turn out to be great." Granville smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Hamada. I look forward to trying all of your dishes, Cass."

As Hiro, Cass and Baymax helped provide all of the dishes out so that the gang could take what they wanted, Hiro could not help but look at all of them with a smile. They all began to partake in the odd array of dishes. Freddy yelled out, "Nothing ever beats free food!" Wasabi and Gogo grumbled as Fred ate with his elbows splayed out. Wasabi tried to move away from Fred, saying, "Fred, I hope you washed your elbows!"

Fred looked at him weirdly, "Well, I washed my hands. But I never wash my elbows, who does that? Except when they shower, of course…" Proceeding to scarf down on the veal tacos, Wasabi just scooted himself away from Fred and dug into the ceviche. Abigail looked across the table, "Hey, Honey Lemon, could you pass me the soy sauce please?" Honey Lemon grabbed it and reached across to hand it to Abigail, "Of course, Abby! Pardon me!"

Gogo dryly remarked, "And that's why we always ask you for things, Honey Lemon. It's great you're so tall." Honey Lemon smiled shyly, "I'm really not that tall, it's just the cute heels I'm wearing." Abigail laughed and joked, "Well, maybe you should lend your heels to Hiro. He could use the extra foot or two."

Hiro shot a mean glance at Abigail, "Hey! Rude! When I hit my growth spurt, I'll be taller than all of you, watch! Except you, Honey Lemon…" They all laughed together. It was a heartfelt moment that felt like they were all family just enjoying each other's company. Aunt Cass looked to Granville, "I hope my nephew hasn't been too much of a pain in the butt for you, Grace."

Granville smiled, "Yes, well it's part of my job description to keep Mr. Hamada's butt out of trouble. But I'm sure you are very well versed and experienced in that department, right Cass?" Aunt Cass laughed, "Yeah, my nephew can be quite the handful at times. He's always been too smart for his own good. It was a full-time job for Tadashi and I to keep him out of trouble." Hiro's eyes narrowed at them, "I'm right here, you know. I'm learning my lessons."

Professor Granville smiled, "Indeed. He's actually grown a lot from our first semester. But I assure you, Cass. I'll make sure he stays out of trouble." All besides Aunt Cass knew that Granville actually was referring to Hiro's "extracurricular activities" with his superhero life and their venture into the Silent Sparrow dimension. Aunt Cass smiled, "Thank you, Grace. My little college man is in good hands. I'm so proud of him." She quickly grabbed Hiro and hugged him, he was shocked and was not prepared for the sudden hug and he dropped his fork into his dish. He smiled and hugged her back, "Thanks, Aunt Cass."

For a time, the dinner continued. But Abigail scooted her chair out, she hugged Aunt Cass, "Thank you so much for dinner, Aunt Cass. It was wonderful as always. I must be going now." Cass hugged her back, "Thank you for coming, Abby. Please, take a container or two and grab as much as you want with you." Abigail smiled, "Thank you, Aunt Cass. Looks like you guys could still use help with finishing this, so I'll grab a lot!" After she packed up some entrees, she said her final goodbyes, "See you all tomorrow, guys!" Everyone all hugged Abigail, knowing that she had a special place to be.

Hiro walked her down the stairs and at the front door. Before she crossed the door, she hugged the young boy, "You ready for this?" Hiro was quiet for a moment and nodded, "This is what we've been working for so long for. I'm ready." Abigail smiled and tapped the boy in the arm, "We'll get him back. I promise you. Whatever it takes, I'm getting him back and I will keep you safe out there."

Hiro crossed his arms with a smug look on his face, "Or maybe I will save you again over there?" Abigail shook her head and laughed, "Not this time. It's my turn to save you, remember? Just don't go doing anything reckless and be a 'damsel in distress' on purpose." Hiro just shrugged his shoulders casually, "Hey, no promises. But… we got this. Just go enjoy time with your dad…"

Abigail smiled, then took her hand and ruffled Hiro's hair, "Thanks, kid. Try to get a better night sleep, need you with your wits out there." Hiro swatted her hand away playfully, "Yeah, I'll have Baymax rock me to sleep, then. Goodnight, Abby." Abigail and Hiro briefly shared a last hug, then she proceeded out and towards her parked car.

* * *

Staring at a holographic monitor with various data screens, Professor Callaghan sifted through the data as he continued to work on seeing if there was anything they might have missed in their planning and preparations. Lost in a trance as he worked, he was surprised when he suddenly heard Abigail's voice, "You always were one to burn the midnight oil, Dad."

He spun around to see Abigail standing at the doorway of the sublevel lab control room. In her hands were two bags, filled with containers from dinner at the Hamadas' residence. She smiled, "How about we take a break from it all and have some dinner?" Callaghan stood up, he was glad that he could spend this time with Abigail. They left the lab and entered a lounge that Krei had designed for their leisure. As Abigail set up a table for them with the entrees, she noticed her father fidgeting with the controls for the projector screen.

Suddenly, the projector screen opened up to reveal a title screen for a movie, reading "Robo-Pocalypse." Abigail grinned, being filled with a sense of nostalgia, "I haven't seen this movie for years!" Callaghan smiled, turning towards her, "I was thinking we could just enjoy dinner and a movie. I remember your mother and I would put this movie on for you almost every day when you were little. You watched it so much, that we all knew every line of the movie by heart."

With a smirk, Abigail joked, "Well, you were the one who showed me this movie, remember?" Abigail thought back to those days, when they would just sit back in their living room and enjoy dinner together as they watched movies. In particular, she would constantly request or even demand that they watch this particular movie.

With a shaking of his head, Callaghan chuckled, "Can't say I was all that happy when you got addicted to watching it. It started your whole craze with wanting to build robots and go bot-fighting…" They sat down together at a table, with Abigail shaking her head, "You don't think I got into that because you were a well-known roboticist and I'd get to see you at work?"

They both laughed, as they began to eat dinner together and watch the movie start. Abigail immediately got entranced by her childhood favorite movie, and Callaghan just looked at her with a loving smile. With all that they had gone through and all the time that had distanced them, he treasured this very moment. With time, they sat down at the couch and continued to watch the movie together. After a while, Abigail got tired and leaned on her father's shoulder, shortly falling asleep. Callaghan smiled, not wanting this moment to end, it was a pleasant callback to his memories of caring for Abigail when she was a little girl. He looked down as she slept peacefully, softly remarking, "My little Abigail… Please watch over her, Gale."

* * *

**Author's Note: This is it, we are nearing the end of the Penitent Sparrow arc! I apologize, I want to get these out soon but writer's block and life has been a bit hectic. But, when I heard that the actual City of Monsters finale is coming in early September, I got more motivated to move this forward since I would like to put my take on the City of Monsters arc before the actual series does it so I can see where my theories lie. But, either way, thank you for reading and I sincerely hope you are enjoying this fanfic series!**


	32. Penitent Sparrow (Part Two)

**Author's Note: Well, looks like we are back on hiatus for the animated series… But the fandom is amazing and this is a great time for us to allow our imaginations to explode as we wait. With that said, gives me the opportunity to complete this story arc and dive into the CoM arc. Check out my fanfic series, **_**Big Hero 6: The Tempest Redux**_**, where I explore my own take and retelling of the CoM arc.**

**In the meantime, enjoy the read! If you've gotten this far, thank you for keeping up with this series. You have my utmost thanks in allowing me to explore this writing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 32: Penitent Sparrow (Part Two)**

Donning his purple helmet, Hiro observed as his visor initiated several holographic sequences. Soon, a small screen appeared at the edge of his visor HUD. The screen provided a real-time visual feed from another perspective, with the screen showing a large armored hand fidgeting with one of Gogo's mag-lev suspension devices.

The screen was playing a real-time view of what Baymax was looking at, Hiro immediately looking to his healthcare companion who was curiously playing with the device. Hiro quickly tried to reign him in, "Hey, buddy, let's focus!"

Baymax quickly looked to his human counterpart, with Hiro finding it odd to see himself on his own visor. He asked the robot, "Are you receiving my visual data ok, Baymax?"

Baymax nodded, "/Yes. My visual processors are now receiving your visual telemetry. I will be able to see what you are seeing now, Hiro./" Hiro triumphantly raised his fist with satisfaction, "Great! Two pairs of eyes are better than one."

Baymax cocked his head to the side, "/But technically I do not have eyes. I have hyper-spectral cameras to process visual data. And you can only have one pair of eyes./" Hiro shook his head, "Just an expression, buddy. But we'll both be able to see each other's viewpoints and detect threats sooner. Or your 'brother' model."

Hiro specifically developed this upgrade so that they would be able to ensure that no debris will sneak up on them this time. From the screen depicting Baymax's vision, Hiro saw that he was looking towards the door.

Suddenly, Abigail walked in, clad with her white "Lady Kabuki" AEXOS armor. But what she was carrying casually in her arms looked both menacing and comical, due to its sheer size in relation to her body size. She grinned with complete satisfaction towards the boy, "You had to go all out and spoil this girl rotten, huh?"

In her hands was what Hiro called the "GUNGNIR," a miniaturized and compact variant of the APOLLO prototype ship's main armament: the high-powered magnetic rail gun. In honor of the A.I. system ODIN that accompanies Abigail, the rail gun was aptly named after the mythological spear of the Norse god Odin.

Hiro crossed his arms with pride, "Well, didn't I tell you if you were patient, it would be well worth the wait?" Admiring the craftsmanship of the weapon, Abigail grinned eagerly, "You and Gogo did a great job adapting the original design from the APOLLO. Can't wait to see her in action. Definitely not light, though."

Right on cue, Baymax advised her, "/It is important that you handle the weapon system with the proper equipment. It weighs 299.35 pounds and can cause injury if mishandled./"

Using the Nano-Dex 2.0 nano-compression circuitry system, she was able to single-handedly handle the weapon system that was as tall as she was. She chuckled, "Yeah, no kidding."

They looked out the window from the room, across the vast open area was the three completed halo-shaped machines that comprised Project Penitent Sparrow. Hiro cleared his throat and took a deep breath, when Abigail asked softly, "You scared at all?"

The young boy coyly played off his nervousness, "Me? What? No way, I'm not afraid." She laughed, "You're a terrible liar, kid. Honestly... I am." Hiro was surprised at her confession, but noted that she was still smiling. How could she not fear that cold void? She was trapped there all alone with almost no hope she could possibly return. Being stranded had left a mark on her. But despite her fear, Abby seemed calm with a sense of clarity.

Abigail continued," But fear always kept me on my toes. It's always helped me every time I set off into the sky. How could you possibly step into the unknown without fear? I think... It's ok to acknowledge fear, you know? But not let it take a hold of you. But not recognizing it and denying it's presence doesn't strengthen you at all, simply blindsides you."

Hiro took a deep breath, "Yeah, you have a point... Honestly, I am nervous and worried. That something could happen to you or both of the Baymaxes... But I do believe that we can do this. We've come too far, and we're not doing this alone... You and I have each other's back."

Baymax pointed his finger up, "/And I will be watching your backs/" The young boy smiled and lightly brushed his hand along the robot's arm, "That's right, buddy."

Abigail smiled at the two. Pursuing this project was her idea, a means to make it up to her rescuers and for her and her father to face their demons. But as she looked at the young boy and his robot, she was reminded of why she admired them. They were her guardians and saviors, her rescuers who brought her back from a hopeless world.

Abby noted that the boy had more sureness in his eyes, conviction welling in his posture. She also noted that the boy was genuinely more concerned for the welfare of others and did not mention concerns for his own safety. It was an admirable trait of his that she respected long before she met the boy. But after he nearly sacrificed himself to get the disintegration device out of the city, she knew she had to watch out for this boy.

She hated to admit it, but that selfless trait that he shared with Tadashi was tragically risky. She made a promise to Tadashi that she would keep his little brother safe. It was a promise she intended to honor at all costs.

The lab door opened, filtering into the room was the Big Hero 6 team, Krei, Judy, and the two professors. Unsurprisingly, the first one to hug both Hiro and Abigail was Honey Lemon, "Good luck you two! Please stay safe!"

Hiro smiled, "Don't worry, Honey Lemon. We have your colloid flexible armor exoskeleton, remember?" Honey Lemon nodded with a smile, stepping back as Wasabi put his hand on both their shoulders, "We'll be with you and ready to bring you back."

Fred burst between them, "And our heroes enter the deep unknown! Their trusted teammates watching their backs for an epic rescue mission!" They both laughed, as Fred straightened out, "On a serious note, guys. You two are awesome, come back safely with sha'boy, Baymax. Both of them, of course."

Abigail smiled, "Thanks, Freddy. We will." Gogo now stood in front of Hiro and Abigail, simply nodding to them, "Looks like it's time to woman up." Abigail and Gogo swiftly shook each other's hands, nodding to each other.

Gogo looked towards the young boy, "You too, Hiro." She swiftly punched him in the arm, Hiro giving her a confused look, "Umm... will do? Thanks, Gogo. I think..." Gogo smirked, pulling the boy genius in for a hug. She wasn't one to showcase her emotions, but in certain cases she could make the exception. Hiro and Honey Lemon being the exceptions.

Grabbing the boy by his shoulders, she smiled, "Don't do anything stupid and just return in one piece, got it? And bring him back home, Hiro. For Tadashi." Hiro smiled, "Thanks, Gogo..." he quickly closed the distance again for another embrace, "Last hug." Gogo's eyes widened for a moment, then she returned the hug, "Don't count on it." For her, she knew this wasn't going to be the last hug she will give the boy, though not mentioning it, she would hug him when he returned. She nudged his shoulder before walking off to join the others, "Go get him, boy genius."

Krei walked up to Abigail, "Listen, Abigail, I..." With a look of understanding, Abby shook her head, "Don't worry, Alistair. This won't end the same way. We'll be back before you know it for celebratory sparkling cider." Krei smiled, "Just... be careful out there, will you?"

"I will. Thank you, Alistair," Abigail hugged him, grateful for everything he did to support her and getting all of this together to get to this point. Over Abigail's shoulder, Alistair ruffled Hiro's hair, "You too, intern. I have more important things for you to do here. Anything happens to you, who will be going to get my Frappuccino?"

Hiro crossed his arms and frowned with annoyance, to which Krei laughed, "I'm just kidding! In all seriousness. Please stay safe out there, Hiro." The young boy nodded, "I will, Mr. Krei. Thanks." Krei stepped back to join the others.

Professor Granville now stood before them, she looked at her protege and her niece. She stepped forward and hugged them both, which was seemingly uncharacteristic of her from Hiro's perspective. It was brief, as Granville stepped back and said, "Please be extremely careful out there, you two. We'll be with you, every step of the way."

"Thank you, Aunt Grace. We will be careful, I promise I'll look after Hiro," Abigail responded reassuringly. Hiro nodded with a cocky grin, "And I'll save Abby if she gets herself in trouble again." Abigail quickly elbowed his shoulder, he playfully rubbed where she hit him. Granville laughed and shook her head at them, "Just please avoid trouble, both of you, won't you?" The two nodded simultaneously in agreement.

Finally, Callaghan stepped forward and quickly hugged Abigail. In truth… he did not want to let go. "No matter what, I'll make sure that you get back here safe and welcome you back... You know I am proud of you, right? Your mother will watch over you, so come back safe so we can watch 'Robo-Pocalypse' again. Plus, I owe you celebratory ice cream, remember?" Callaghan spoke tenderly as they remained in a father-daughter embrace.

Abigail hugged her father tighter, she laughed almost forcefully to stifle tears welling in her eyes, "I'd love that, Dad. It's been... so great to spend time with you again. Thank you for supporting me on this. I promise, no matter what... I will return with all of them." Although they remained in each other's embrace for quite some time, to them it didn't feel like it was enough. They knew this wasn't meant to be a good-bye, but the situation still felt dire enough for it to possibly be their last hug.

Hiro, already motioning to move out of the lab room, was promptly stopped by Callaghan's hand atop his shoulder. The young boy looked towards his former adversary, who looked at him with a soft yet concerned expression. The professor spoke with genuine concern, "Hiro... please be careful out there. He's out there waiting for you. I know it."

Looking down for a moment, Hiro looked back towards Professor Callaghan as he then nodded with a small smile, "Thanks, Professor Callaghan. We'll bring him back. We're… all coming back. I'll watch over Abby out there, I promise." Callaghan nodded to the boy, as Abigail released from their hug and smiled at both her father and Hiro.

Professor Callaghan stepped to join the rest of the team. Hiro walked over to a compartment and pulled out a jetpack system, remarking, "One last preparation." He placed it on Abigail's back, securing the system that would provide her with even more flight speed and propulsion. Abigail grinned like a child on Christmas day, "You really are spoiling me, kid." Hiro just laughed, moving to the compartment for an even larger jetpack system for Baymax. Hiro placed it on Baymax, smirking, "We're still faster."

As Hiro placed a jetpack on his armor, just as a precaution should he be separated from Baymax in-flight, Abigail just shook her head, "Sounds like you want to have a rematch on our race sometime?" The boy tested the wing function as they splayed out, canting his head to look at Abby, "Naturally. We almost beat you."

Professor Callaghan and the rest of the team stood there as they all looked to Abigail, Hiro and Baymax in their completely upgraded "Penitent Sparrow-Variant" Phase 3 armor. Of course, Fred was jumping up and clapping his hands, "I am major jelly right now, you guys look glorious!" They were all ready, it was time to get things rolling. Abigail casually picked up her GUNGNIR rail gun. Hiro squeezed his fist together tightly, motioning to the group with determination and conviction, "Well then, guys? Let's go get Baymax!"

Everyone cheered, moving towards their stations as they were preparing to start the operation. Baymax looked over to the boy, "/But I'm right here and ready to go./" Hiro smiled towards his robotic companion and then pointed towards the Penitent Sparrow machine, to which Baymax merely responded in understanding, "/Oh./" Hiro shook his head with a laugh, "Let's go get your 'brother' back. What do you say, buddy?"

"/Having two healthcare companions around will better improve my ability to keep you safe and healthy, Hiro./" Baymax concluded, to which Hiro smiled, not having given it thought to how it would be to have two Baymaxes around. Hiro tapped his robotic companion, "You're right, big guy. Not sure how I'll explain that to Aunt Cass yet."

In the intercom, Professor Granville's voice filled the sub level lab and into their helmets, "Everyone is now in place. Activating Penitent Sparrow. Standby for the green light, you three." Suddenly, the two main portal machines began to glow brightly as a blue flowing surface expanded to fill the hollow space within the circular structure.

Professor Granville and Professor Callaghan diligently looked over the diagnostics and sensor readings, particularly at the magnetic containment fields to ensure that the machine was running stably from their end. No irregularities were detected, and the system was operating well within the stringent parameters set by Granville.

Granville announced, "Portal telemetry established, no irregularities and all systems check out. Team, prepare to send drones and the life support ship to follow." At this point, the rest of the Big Hero 6 team assumed control of their respective unmanned drone. Each of the drones were now being positioned for launch into the portal. With unconfined excitement, Fred shifted around and held a video game console-styled controller in his hand, "Oh, here we go!" Hiro saw fit to redesign Fred's flight controls to be operated through a controller for the eccentric young man's amusement.

As Callaghan released the energy barrier over the portal, the drones launched sequentially into the machine. With the visual feed coming through, the drones immediately had to maneuver around debris and launched plasma projectiles to clear the path around the portal. Wasabi was screaming as he controlled his drone, "This place is a complete mess! Too much debris!"

Fred giddily mashed on his video game-styled controller as his drone destroyed debris in his path, "Well, looks like we are the clean-up crew! I'm aiming for the high score!" Wasabi responded, "Fred! This isn't a game!" But Fred was incredulous, "What are you talking about? It clearly is?!" As he continued to destroy debris, Fred's screen contained a score point counter that continued to grow with each successive debris he eliminated. Yet another feature Hiro added to both entertain and incentivize Fred to perform to the best of his abilities.

Looking at the visual feed of the purple hues characterizing the various cloud tendrils, Honey Lemon commented, "This is the calmest we have seen the storm. Such a shame it's a dangerous place, it's so vibrantly colorful and beautiful. I think I'll have to paint it sometime!" Gogo calmly reminded them, "Focus up, guys. Clear out a path so we can get the life support ship and let Abby and Hiro cross through." They all collectively responded, "Right!"

Granville watched the holographic display that provided an overlay of the Silent Sparrow dimension as data was feeding back from the drones in real-time. Noting that the team was clearing out the immediate debris near the portal, she readied the life support ship and positioned it in front of the portal. Gogo took the lead, nodding to the professor, "We've cleared out the path. We're ready to receive the life support ship, Professor Granville."

Granville nodded, manipulating the controls which activated the launch sequence for the ship as it was propelled into the Penitent Sparrow machine. On the other side, the ship halted just past the portal.

Granville spoke to her students, "Life support ship is staged. Okay, students, commence the next phase of the operation." As they collectively acknowledged, the team were able to maneuver their drones and assume their flight paths to begin the search as planned. Over the intercom, Granville continued, "Hiro, Abby, Baymax… the team is assuming their search patterns and the life support ship is now staged for you… You guys are up, good luck."

Abigail stepped next to the boy and his healthcare companion, reaching with a fist towards each of them, saying, "Let's do this, guys." Abigail was met with a fist bump by Hiro and Baymax, who simultaneously said, "Ba-La-La-La-La." She smiled heartily, _Jeez, you guys are adorable._

Hiro purposefully moved to hop on the back of Baymax, with a look of determination, he looked back to Abby, "For Tadashi." Abigail nodded towards him, "For Tadashi… see you on the other side, Hiro." With a simple nod to her, Hiro tapped on Baymax, "Ready, Baymax?" The gentle giant positioned himself before the portal, "/Certainly/"

With a low crouch, Baymax sprang loaded his legs as he sprawled forward towards the portal. Hiro quickly pointed forward toward the brilliant blue light of the machine, "Let's go!" With a quick burst from their thrusters, Baymax and Hiro quickly launched into the portal. Disappearing out of sight from Abigail and the others.

The young boy could only briefly see a bright white light surrounding them. Until they suddenly reached the other side, leaving behind them a large white and golden portal that almost looked like a golden flower that had rotating energetic petals. Even though he had been there before, it was still a sight to behold. It's not every day you find yourself in an entirely different dimension. Honey Lemon was right, it would be completely beautiful had it not been so dangerous. He radioed in to his team, "Guys, Baymax and I made it through okay. We're assuming our search pattern."

Honey Lemon responded, "So glad you got through okay, Hiro. Be careful." Hiro looked to his robotic healthcare companion, "Baymax, take us out. Initiate your Enhanced Scanner 2.0, please." Baymax adjusted his flight path, moving to their pre-planned direction and his scanner initialized from his helmet, "/Scanning for first model Baymax… Scanning… Scanning… Scanning./"

* * *

As Abby prepared herself to launch, she heard her father on the communications system, "Stay safe out there, Abby. I'll be here to welcome you back." Abigail looked up to her father through the window of the control room, seeing him look back at her. She smiled and raised her thumb up, speaking comfortingly, "Thank you. I'll be back before you know it, Dad. I expect a lot of ice cream, when I get back. You're treat, of course. Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is my favorite, just in case you forgot."

Callaghan laughed, "Yes. How could I possibly forget…?" With a momentary pause, he said, "I love you, Abigail." Without skipping a beat, Abby looked to her father, "I love you too, Dad." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, now looking towards the portal with a look of complete determination and concentration. Remembering her first experience with the Silent Sparrow portal, she tightly gripped her fists and then shook her body quickly to relieve any excess tension she was feeling. She spoke to her father and Granville, "I'm ready."

"You ready for this, ODIN?" she asked her personal A.I. aboard her exosuit. An intricate emblem depicting the Norse god had appeared at the corner of her helmet's HUD. In his regal accent, he responded, "/Most certainly, Miss Abigail./" Now with her game face on, she grinned, "Good. Then let's dive back in!" She sprinted towards the portal and activated her enhanced thrusters, quickly propelling her into the portal as the bright light of the portal engulfed her. Callaghan watched as she passed though the machine, Granville turning to him, "You okay, Robert?"

He nodded, "Yeah... thanks, Grace. Let's just concentrate on everything we can do for them from here."

* * *

Despite her determination coming into the portal, Abigail felt a chill crawl and reverberate throughout her body as she gazed out into the vividly purple void she found herself in. It was the feeling of returning to this hauntingly lonely place, the fear and pain of hopeless isolation that viscerally flooded her body and mind.

"_Abby_." She could faintly hear a voice calling to her, it sounded muffled and did not catch her attention. "_Abby! Are you okay? C'mon, don't check out on me. Come in."_

As she floated along the space, her mind was seemingly entranced by this dimension that once imprisoned her. With a louder volume, her combat A.I. snapped her out of it, "/Hiro, is attempting to reach you on the comms, my lady. Are you alright, you are alarming me./" Abigail's eyes widened, shaking her head quickly, "Oh, yeah. Sorry, ODIN."

She looked out in the distance, seeing Hiro and Baymax maneuvering around debris. Cuing onto the comms, "Sorry, kid. Just got… I'm okay. Getting on course for my pre-planned trajectory. ODIN will begin his scans." She could hear the young boy sigh in relief, "You almost gave me a heart attack. Was getting worried you were starting to have some technical issues. I'm just glad you're okay."

Suddenly, Baymax came onto the radio communications, "/Hiro, your self-diagnosis of a myocardial infarction is not medically accurate. You are currently experiencing an elevated heart rate consistent with a sympathetic response to stress. It is recommended to-/" The boy shook his head and chuckled, "It is just an expression, buddy. C'mon, let's keep our eyes peeled for your 'brother.'"

"/It is not recommended to peel your eyes, Hiro. That would hurt/" the robot healthcare companion responded, taking the saying literally. As if in anticipation, the young genius immediately interjected his robot buddy, "Another expression, buddy. Means to keep your eyes open to stay observant and alert."

Listening to them, Abigail laughed at their wholesome banter that was seemingly so light-hearted and opposed to the direness of the situation. It allowed Abigail the opportunity to take a deep breath, take in the environment and re-focus herself. On her helmet visor display, ODIN was highlighting a holographic trajectory route for her to follow. She could see the display constantly light up, as ODIN continued his enhanced scan that Hiro had given a massive upgrade for.

Readying her GUNGNIR rail gun system in her hand, charging the magnetically-charged weapon system in preparation for any large debris being hurled in her way. The rail gun chambered a projectile along the railing, primed for immediate use. _I can't use this yet, not until I make sure we've found Baymax. Can't afford to damage him…_ she thought to herself, her eyes constantly scanning around and processing the data from ODIN's scan.

"/My lady, I have found a possible location for our target at coordinates: Alpha-Kilo 174841 199273. The readings are coming within a floating debris structure. I have highlighted the route for you/" ODIN informed her, Abby's visor now creating a route that accounted for incoming debris on the way to the coordinates.

Abigail spoke through the radio, "Thanks, ODIN. I might have a lead on our guy, I'm moving to investigate those coordinates." She heard the cascade of acknowledgements from everyone among the team, increasing the throttle of her thrusters to speed her towards the coordinates. As it came closer in view, she saw that it was a more solid remnant of the old Krei Tech headquarters. There was an opening into this chunk of the old building. She mused to herself, "Guess we're going to take a tour of the building."

Slipping into the structure, her visor began to adjust her visual fields to accommodate for the darkness within the old room of the debris. As it adjusted, she gasped when she saw him floating within the structure. With his eyes closed into a single-lined slit, the white coloring of his vinyl covering was scuffed and darkened in areas where he had taken damage from clashing with the debris. Notably, he was not his usual round marshmallow-looking self, being deflated and looking like a napkin-cloth draped down in a way that a child would use for a makeshift ghost costume. She saw that he had remnants of the red armored suit on him, noting that the red thruster boots were damaged, and a stub remained where the rocket fist would have been.

"Baymax… No way, I found him… I FOUND HIM! Hiro! I found him!" Abigail exclaimed in excitement, elated at the surprise of getting to meet this version of her rescuer. The part of Baymax that sacrificed a part of himself to ensure she and Hiro would be able to return to the other side before being stranded here. Hiro came on immediately, "B-Baymax?! I- I'm on my way to you now! Guys! Make your way to Abby!" In a cacophony of responses, everyone was excited and were now diverting from their present course to move towards Abigail's location.

Steadily controlling her thrusters, Abigail floated towards the slumbering machine. She noted the damage he had taken in all of this time but was thankful that it appears he has been able to remain in one piece despite the storm. Reaching her hand behind her back to retrieve Honey Lemon's colloidal fluid barrier-creating device, Abby stretched her arm to place it on Baymax's chest.

Suddenly, the non-armored hand of the robot snatched her hand and stopped her in place. "What the- ?" Abigail's eyes widened as she looked towards the robot with utmost shock at him suddenly coming alive. Baymax moved his head to face her, abruptly opening his eyes to show a bright, menacing red glow. With a sudden burst of movement, the former healthcare companion lifted its legs onto the wall of the debris structure and sprang itself off. Abigail reacted, holding onto Baymax as the robot projected her outside of the structure.

Without hesitation, the robot attempted to bash into Abigail's armor with his armored arm that no longer had his projectile gauntlet. Despite that, the machine was hyper-aggressive and forced Abigail to stop the onslaught with her other arm. "Uhh… Hiro?! We got a little situation! The marshmallow man is awake and he's going berserk!"

"WHAT?!" Hiro exclaimed with his voice cracking, "Are you ok, Abby?! We're working our way to you, hang on!" Abigail chuckled, "I'm okay, just trying to restrain him…" Her eyes averted past the robot and noticed that the nearby debris was moving towards them. "But the storm is going to make this a little interesting!" she yelled, bursting from her thrusters to maneuver the rogue Baymax and herself away from incoming debris.

Fighting to release herself from Baymax's grip, she took out the GUNGNIR rail gun and aimed it at the incoming debris. A surge of energy coursed along the weapon system, as it charged the railing and explosively sent a high-velocity round towards one of the concrete structures. A thunderous sound exploded as the projectile exited the rail gun. With a brilliant display of bursting concrete, the debris was easily dispersed into a finer collection of dust. Abigail chambered another round into the rail gun and scanned around, seeing more debris launched her way.

Without letting up, the rogue Baymax continued to struggle and attempt to bash into Abigail. She growled, "C'mon… you 'crazy marshmallow!' I'm… trying to rescue you!" With his stubby vinyl hand, the robot attempted to swat at the GUNGNIR rail gun, preventing Abigail from taking her next shot at the imminent threat of debris coursing towards them. Seeing a large chunk of concrete being hurled towards them from across the machine's shoulder, she knew that she did not have enough time to evade it nor did she have the ability to destroy it thanks to the aggressive Baymax tussling with her. She forced Honey Lemon's device onto the robot, the device slowly enclosing the robot with the protective colloid fluid barrier. But not quick enough…

_I got no other choice…_ She burst her thrusters just enough to shift herself around Baymax, now allowing her back to get in the way of the incoming debris. She heard her father screaming in anguish and concern as he observed her visual feed and seeing her place herself between Baymax and the debris, "ABIGAIL!" But she wasn't going to allow Baymax to be damaged or destroyed... Abigail braced herself and the hyper-aggressive Baymax, gritting her teeth, _Guess I got to put my back into it… _

* * *

Hiro tapped on his armored healthcare companion, "C'mon, Baymax! We got to get them! Full thrust!" Without saying a word, Baymax activated the booster pack thrusters on his back. In a quick burst, they sped forth at a speed that even Hiro did not anticipate. The sudden burst of speed was exhilarating, and had it not been for the dire situation they were in, he had to admit that he would be howling with excitement.

But the sheer speed made it difficult to make more drastic turns to avoid the incoming debris. Hiro looked around, helping provide Baymax calculate a pathway as he took into account Hiro's visual feed. A large structure was in their direct path, they would have to find a way to evade it…

"ABIGAIL! NO!" Hiro heard Professor Callaghan yell into the team communications net. Remembering Abigail's daring directness in her piloting style, he knew that he had only one option to negotiate this obstacle in their way to Abigail and the rogue Baymax… Using his magnetic gauntlets to help him maneuver on top of Baymax, he clung onto Baymax's fist stretched upfront.

"Baymax! Rocket fist!" he commanded his robotic buddy. "/But Hiro, that is not safe/" The boy looked back at him, "We need to get through the debris to Abby! Trust me, buddy, please." Simply blinking, the robot paused and then nodded, "/Very well, Hiro. Are you prepared for launch?/" Grateful that the robot relented, Hiro smiled and looked forward towards the structure ahead of them. "I'm ready! Baymax, rocket fist!"

The giant armored gauntlet's thrusters primed and burst as it launched towards the debris structure. Hanging onto it using his magnetic gauntlet, Hiro clung on as he sped at the obstacle. Right before making impact, he let go as the rocket fist impacted into the debris. Waving both hands forward, Hiro used his magnetic gauntlet to take control of the metallic components within the debris. Swiping his arms outwards to his sides, the debris began to split and diverge away from him, clearing a path.

The rocket fist was now being pulled back towards Baymax, so Hiro once again activated his magnetic gauntlet to latch onto the robot fist as it returned to its owner. Hiro was panting as he caught his breath, as he laughed triumphantly, "Nice, Baymax! It worked!" Looking past the debris that they had dispersed, he saw the outline of two white figures floating.

"Abby! Abby, are you ok?!" Hiro yelled for her, nodding to Baymax as they continued speeding towards her and the first model Baymax. Abigail groaned, opening her eyes to see that she had successfully protected the rogue Baymax from the debris. Her visor display flashed red, indicating damage to her suit's systems including its primary thrusters. But as she had hoped, the reinforced armor and Honey Lemon's colloid fluid exoskeleton had successfully protected the both of them from the inevitable impact.

"Ab-by- can you.. me?" she heard the flickering voice of Hiro through her helmet, intermittently cutting off. Her armor was momentarily locked up, a protective feature to devised by Hiro to reduce injury upon massive damage. "Hiro? Yeah, I'm okay. Some systems are damaged, ODIN is doing an emergency reboot…" she responded. She saw that the young boy was floating in front of her, checking out her armor and tinkering with it. The boy was relieved to see the first model Baymax, to be certain. But his main concern was that Abigail was ok.

In some of the damaged portions of her armor, a flexible chemical foam layer filled the voids, yet another feature devised by Honey Lemon. Her visor began to have its systems go green, with ODIN finally being able to speak, "/Main systems are operational but at 70% optimal capacity. Please note, two main thrusters are experiencing intermittent functionality, Miss Abigail./"

"Thanks, ODIN. We shouldn't linger here, Hiro. Let's get Baymax out of here," she said, as she moved her body to test out if there was any odd kinks in its movement. Hiro sighed to see that she was alright, "Yeah, you're right. The others are clearing a path for us." The two of them looked over to the black-armored Baymax, who was floating and curiously looking at his original body. The original model suddenly woke up once again, its eyes beaming red, as it attempted to smash into its armored counterpart. Looking at his aggressive version, Baymax seamlessly restrained him while remarking, "/Oh. Violence is not necessary/"

Abigail grabbed a hold of Hiro and they both rushed off to try to help Baymax subdue the rogue machine. "Baymax, please! It's me! Stop this!" Hiro pleaded, as they ripped him away and held his arms in restraint. The robot's eyes fluttered as it looked to him, his head twitching as it seemingly tried to process that it was looking at the person it was designed to protect. Then, its hand began to glow as it activated the defibrillators in his palm, originally put in place for cardiac emergencies. But a short electrical burst could compromise some of their systems, they couldn't afford to be touched by it.

Hiro shook his head, "I'm so sorry, big guy!" With a finger gun gesture, the young boy placed his finger directly at the rogue machine's chest. With the very same EMP wave emitter he created for his Dokuro suit, he sent a short wave EMP to shut down Baymax's systems. Suddenly, Baymax's red glow diminished and he closed his eyes. Hiro put his palm along the robot's chest affectionately, "Sleep for me, just a little bit longer, ok? We're taking you home."

Hiro looked to the original model, not pleased to have seen him back in that aggressive state. "How is that even possible?" Abigail asked the young boy. Hiro just shook his head, "My… combat chip. With that in him, he's completely oriented towards addressing threats. His systems are probably damaged and with low batteries, it doesn't make for a good combination."

Abigail was mildly shocked, "How could he even have any charge left in him?" Hiro held the sleeping Baymax, passing him off towards the armored Baymax. He surmised, "Must have been because he went into stasis and sleep mode after shutting down. Not to mention, I did put in supercapacitors." The boy looked to Baymax, "You got him, buddy? It's time to go home, what do you say?"

It was an odd sight to see Baymax holding himself, but the robot simply looked at his original body and then to Hiro and Abigail, "/Certainly. It is still not safe here./" With all of them prepared to leave, Abigail noticed her thrusters were still having difficulties functioning. One of the drones now flew besides them, Gogo's voice airing into the radio, "Hey Abby, need a lift?" Abigail retrieved her GUNGNIR rail gun system and smirked, "Definitely, would rather you fly me around than Wasabi."

Wasabi came onto the communications net, "HEY! Well… fair enough…" Suddenly, everyone was caught off guard when Professor Granville's voice boomed, "Stay focused, students. We're not in the clear until we have them all back home, so clear a path for them." They all agreed, as their drones now moved in a formation directly in the path towards the bright flower-esque portal.

The young boy genius tapped on his armored healthcare companion, "Let's make our way back, big guy. Full thrust! My eyes are your eyes. I'll guide you out of here!" It reminded him of when they were on their way back to the portal the first time, carrying Abigail's pod. Except this time, they were _all_ going to make it back. They weren't going to be blindsided, they were there as a team. And they would all come back as a team.

Abigail tapped on the hull of the drone, "Don't hold back, girl! Show me what the 'speed queen' can do!" A screen arose from her visor system, showing Gogo's face as she blew a bubble with her gum and smirked, "I like your style, Abby." The drone's thrusters burst quickly as it sped along, Abigail grinning widely as she held onto the drone, "That's what I'm talking about!" With her body lying prone on the unmanned drone, she positioned her rail gun as she aimed towards the more massive debris ahead of the dual Baymaxes and Hiro.

With a thunderous crack, the rail gun seamlessly punched a hole into one of the large Krei Tech remnants and dispersed it into a fine mist. On the radio, they could hear Fred squeal, "I have GOT to get me one of those, Hiro! Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!" With complete synchronization, the whole gang collectively answered, "NO." They could only hear the young man groan in disappointment.

Professor Callaghan came onto the radio communications, "I'm sending the life support ship towards you. You guys all get on board and get Baymax in there." They could see the ship travelling quickly towards them, its plasma projectile turrets destroying debris being hurled in its path. It didn't take long, hovering to a halt as it opened its bay door to welcome them.

As gracefully as possible, Baymax slowed down so he could carefully load the sleeping Baymax into the ship and helping Hiro to jump aboard. Demonstrating great piloting skills, Gogo hovered behind the moving life support ship and allowed enough clearance for Abigail to lightly maneuver herself onto the ship with the armored Baymax's support. Finally, Baymax got on board, "/We are all safely aboard the ship, Professor Callaghan./"

With that, the ship's propulsion system activated to move them full-speed towards the portal. Inside the ship, Hiro, Abigail and Baymax hugged each other, then looked towards the slumbering Baymax. Hiro spoke tenderly to Abigail, "This is it… we're _all_ finally going home." Abby nodded and smiled, although she remained tense. Not able to truly relax until she was truly back on the other side again. _Their _side. Soon they were beginning to enter the portal and for a moment, they could only see the bright light surrounding them as they crossed back into their own dimension…

* * *

**Author's Note: We are drawing closer to the end! There was a lot going on with how I envisioned this, so I hope that it was something that flowed and painted something of a picture or a chaotic scene. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the epilogue chapter, "Legacy."**


	33. Penitent Sparrow (Final Part)

**Author's Note: Well! I owe you guys an apology! I did not mean to leave this series on a cliffhanger! I work full-time in EMS and part-time in the military, which has not made for an easy schedule for me to sit down and think and write. I was just as anxious to see how this would all end and pan out as much as you guys. Thank you all to the readers who kept reaching out for me to move it forward.**

**It really made me want to find some breathing room from my life and come back to writing this fanfiction. Especially in this current lull waiting on the actual animated series to continue. I apologize I am terrible at gauging my chapter sizes, looks like I had more ideas to flesh out and the epilogue chapter will come soon! Here's the continuation to the Penitent Sparrow chapter, with its final part!**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 33: "Penitent Sparrow (Final Part)"**

Crossing back into their own side away from the ominous Silent Sparrow dimension, Hiro winced his eyes as a brilliant white glow engulfed their surroundings. Its evanescent bright shine suddenly passed and the boy was able to once again see the inside of the ship as he saw Abigail and Baymax gripping the ship to brace for their re-entry. The ship felt like it was shifting and shaking violently, prompting Baymax to calmly advise, "/Please take caution and hang on/"

Emergency sirens wailed constantly, until they felt a gradual deceleration that had undoubtedly come from the ship's frontal thrusters and parachute system releasing to slow their approach into the underground lab's runway. Hiro, Abigail and Baymax slowly picked up their heads to look outside the front cockpit of the ship as they were about to approach a large pink wall.

The ship suddenly met a gentle resistance that had smoothly halted their movement. This was the ingenious machinations of Honey Lemon, who had developed a gelatinous chemical buffer system that would catch and safely decelerate the ship without a dangerous impact upon landing. And in typical Honey Lemon-fashion, this chemical buffer system would be bright pink with a heart in the middle for good measure as an appropriate "welcome back to their world" gesture.

Chemically suspended in the gelatinous layer, it was now degrading into a soft, pink foamy form. This allowed the ship to gently lower towards the floor as it was shrouded in a thick mist. Hiro and Abigail simultaneously sighed a very heavy sigh of relief, looking at each other and chuckling that they had returned from such a risky ordeal. The young boy genius laughed, "Home sweet home, right Abby?"

The young woman shook her head and smiled, "Yeah, nothing beats being in your own dimension… I think I'm done with travelling to other dimensions though." Hiro laughed, "Yeah, you and me both." Baymax pointed out, "/I concur. That would be the safest option./"

The young boy smiled at his healthcare companion, "That's right, buddy. We are back in our own world for good…" Hiro turned to the dormant and heavily damaged Baymax, moving towards it and placing his hand affectionately along its shoulder, "We're… all home this time."

They could hear the bay door of the ship lowering, looking over to see beyond the opening that was still shrouded in pink mist that was now flowing into the ship but slowly dissipating. Taking off their helmets, they moved to exit the ship with Baymax carrying his deactivated counterpart.

With the mist slowly subsiding, they caught a glimpse of the whole "Penitent Sparrow" Project Team, all with faces of relief and elation at their return. They could hear Fred yell excitedly, "Yeah! They made it!" Without warning, Honey Lemon and Fred jumped through the remaining pink mist joyously as they ran to Hiro and Abigail to hug them which would startle the both of them.

Naturally, the rest of the team all joined them, all moving towards Hiro, Abigail and the Baymaxes. Save for Wasabi, of course, who was cautiously waiting for the pink chemical mist to more fully subside lest he be caught in it.

Honey Lemon squealed as she ran and picked up the young boy to hug him, "You did it! You guys did so great, Hiro! Abby! I am so glad you guys are ok!" The boy chuckled with his cheeks burning red as the tall chemistry genius grasped him tightly and he was suspended above the ground due to their sheer differences in height. But naturally Honey Lemon was so relieved for them to be back safe.

"Great job you two! Way to stay on your toes out there!" Wasabi commented as he congratulated and welcomed them back, still cautiously moving closer as the chemical mist dissipated. Fred gave Hiro and Abigail a thunderous high-five, with Fred yelling, "'Operation: Rescue the First Baymax from the Purple-Swirly Dimension' was a success! And now, we have _TWO_ Baymaxes?! Two! Are we maxed out on Baymaxes now?!" They all laughed heartily at his comical question.

Gogo approached them, with Abigail and Gogo bumping fist to fist casually. With a respectful nod, Abby smirked, "Great flying out there, 'Speed Queen.'" Gogo simply nodded haughtily, then responded in kind, "Thanks. And great shooting out there, 'hotshot.'"

Gogo looked to the young genius, walking towards him. The young boy put up his hand for a high-five, but Gogo swatted his hand away and bypassed it, immediately hugging the boy. He was momentarily caught by surprise, as she smiled, "I told you not to count on that 'last hug,' boy genius. Glad you guys made it back okay with Baymax."

Hiro smiled, "Thanks, Gogo. I knew you had our back the whole time with the others." Admittedly, it wasn't very often that Gogo showed her friendly affection, so the young boy appreciated these rare moments. After all, Gogo doesn't typically "do emotions," so to speak.

Abby turned towards Honey Lemon, prepared for the inevitable massive hug she was going to attack her with. She relented and opened her arms, by which Honey Lemon quickly dove in and scooped her for a hug. Abby chuckled nervously as she caught her breath, "Glad to see you again too, Honey Lemon!" Honey Lemon squealed, "I'm just so glad to have you guys back here, safe and sound! You really gave us a scare back there, Abby."

"Yes. That's right. You did."

Upon hearing the gruff voice belonging to Professor Callaghan, they all turned. Appropriately, he was standing beside Professor Granville and Alistair Krei. All of whom were crossing their arms with disappointed concern towards Abigail, not at all happy with her taking the risk of protecting the rogue Baymax with her own body against the debris.

Abigail nervously chuckled, rubbing along the back of her neck sheepishly. She could feel the marked damage along the armor, despite having had the colloid fluid exoskeleton protecting her. She attempted to apologize shakily, "I'm so sorry to make you all worry… I just couldn't risk Baymax-"

The young woman quickly felt arms wrap around her shoulders and back, realizing that her father pulled her in with a tight embrace. Callaghan spoke tenderly through stifled tears, "You're… Just like your mother, you know that…? So much so that it scares me… I'm… just glad to have you back here, Abigail." She felt his hands and arms shaking around her, causing her to grasp him tighter and remind him that she was indeed back safe in his arms.

She looked up at her father, "I'm sorry to scare you like that… but I am here. I'm safe, and I'm not going anywhere, dad. And Mom… she was looking after me. I know it." They continued to embrace each other. For Callaghan, it was as if he finally got to live a dream he longed for. Had the Silent Sparrow Project not gone awry, he would have been able to welcome and hug his daughter upon her successful return from the demonstration.

Sniffling, Callaghan took a deep breath and smiled warmly, "Your mother would be proud of you… And… Looks like I owe you ice cream, 'little missy.'" They released lightly from their hug, Abby looking at her father with a grin, "I've been waiting a long time for that, dad. I'd love that."

Professor Callaghan looked to his side, spotting Hiro among the others who were watching them. Rubbing his daughter's shoulder tenderly before walking over to the young boy, he outstretched his hand to him. The older professor nodded, "Thank you, Hiro… For looking after my Abigail, once again…"

Hiro looked down at the hand before him with a brief pause. But he grabbed it and shook the professor's hand, looking up at him, "Of course, Professor. I'm glad I could save her again." The young boy smirked as he saw Abigail roll her eyes at him. Hiro and Callaghan chuckled softly, much to Abby's chagrin.

Hiro's face became slightly serious once again, "And… thank you, professor. For helping us get him back…" They silently nodded at each other, perhaps sharing a moment of mutual gratitude in returning what they held dear. For Hiro's role in returning Abigail twice. And for Callaghan's pivotal role in returning Tadashi's Baymax and honoring him through it…

Beyond Professor Callaghan, Hiro's gaze shifted to the shutdown Penitent Sparrow machine. It was a dangerous machine that led somewhere they could not even begin to truly comprehend, he truly did not wish for anyone else to go there again. "What now? What is going to happen to the machine?" he asked without directing the question towards anyone specific.

Krei stepped forward, "The professors and I will be discussing just exactly that. Don't worry about it, we'll take care of it… The right way." Alistair looked over towards Professor Callaghan, who nodded towards Krei in agreement. The professor had always regarded Alistair with trepid caution and disgust over his recklessness, but throughout this project he had shown time and time again that he has also learned from his own mistakes. And that he was making amends to Callaghan, showing restraint over matters rather than simply thinking with his wallet and ego.

"That's right, Mr. Hamada." Hiro felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Professor Granville smiling at him, "I think you have more important things to focus and work on." Her young protégé followed her eyes, which were gazing in the direction of the sleeping Baymax that was being childishly poked by the curious ultra-armored Baymax.

Professor Granville continued, "You have some work ahead of you, Mr. Hamada. Take all of the time you need to rebuild your brother's work. Consider it an emergency leave of absence from your academic responsibilities, directly authorized by your dean."

Hiro looked at the damaged chassis of the slumbering first-model Baymax. It was still so surreal to have Tadashi's Baymax back... A fact that he would have to process and relish. The young boy smiled up at his professor, "Thank you, Professor Granville. That… means a lot." He hugged her, much to her surprise as her eyes widened briefly. But she smiled, "Just remember, your professor does expect you to be back and ready for your coursework." That professor was herself, of course. Hiro chuckled nervously, then nodded, "Of course, Professor Granville. Thank you."

Feeling another hand ruffle his messy hair, he looked up to see Abigail smiling tenderly. Beyond her, he could see everyone else looking back at him supportively. Abigail spoke warmly, "Take all the time you need with Baymax. We leave it to you, Hiro." He looked at each and every one of them standing before him, then looked down shyly, "Thanks, you guys. For everything…" His gaze shifting to Tadashi's Baymax…

* * *

Back in his own personal lab at SFIT, he was spending several days to himself to reconstruct and repair the damaged Baymax. Its time stuck in the Silent Sparrow dimension had truly worn down Baymax's body, but it was a miracle that he was able to remain relatively intact despite the dimension's celestial storm and the debris left there.

Hiro was immensely grateful to have this time to process Baymax's return. Surely, he was completely elated to have found Baymax's healthcare chip in the rocket fist gauntlet when they first escaped from Silent Sparrow. It was a moment he cherished, having realized that he would have his friend back again. And now… he has the body that Tadashi had carefully crafted himself. Baymax was family… and to have him back completely, was emotionally overwhelming at times.

He anxiously worked on Baymax throughout the entire days, only stopping to grab a bite with the gang. That is, if they didn't already drop by to give him some Yaki Tacos or even remind the boy to go eat. This whole process definitely kept him preoccupied, to say the least.

Fervently ratcheting his tools along Baymax's chassis, Hiro was now placing the finishing touches to restoring the carbon fiber frame. Unfortunately, thanks in part to their dangerous encounters with San Fransokyo's criminal supervillains, Hiro had become more than well-acquainted with repairing Baymax from physical damage.

The operational Baymax simply waddled around, watching or assisting Hiro with getting repair parts. With the frame coming together, Hiro nodded with satisfaction as he walked towards the functional Baymax who was holding the iconic vinyl covering that gave the healthcare companion his distinct huggable design.

They slipped the vinyl covering over the inoperable Baymax and sealed it. Immediately, the machine port at its feet began to inject air that progressively inflated the robot to his original marshmallow-like huggable form. With a triumphant grin, the young boy genius outstretched his fist towards Baymax who did not miss a beat and returned in kind with their trademark fist bump.

"/Balalalala/" Baymax shook his head as he spoke almost musically and their fists symbolically exploded away from each other. "Good job, buddy. We put your 'brother' back together!" The boy exclaimed with a joyous chuckle.

But... there was still the issue of a protocol drive chip for this Baymax to run on. It was something that he was thinking about during his time repairing the chassis. Right now, it was simply a body without an operating system or personality for that matter.

Perhaps he could simply copy Baymax's healthcare chip? It would take some time with all of the massive data and accrued memory packed into it... But this idea didn't seem ideal.

Hiro noted that Tadashi had programmed Baymax to continuously learn and develop his own personality through his experiences. Baymax had become his own individual self, with a growing personality that magnified his uniqueness.

This was why he refused to simply recreate another Baymax and simply duplicate him. In a way, Hiro wanted Baymax to maintain his individuality and not simply copy and paste him into another body. Baymax was Baymax. But Tadashi's model, it had the opportunity to become its own individual as well.

One solution the boy brainstormed was that he could also create a new copy with some modifications. One idea would be to copy Baymax's memories leading only up to Silent Sparrow rescue of Abigail. Then it would be like having that Baymax back and waking up from the Silent Sparrow dimension. Hiro wanted the two Baymaxes to be their own individuals rather than simple copies of one another.

"But first..." the young boy muttered with seriousness, reaching to the inactive robot's drive port and accessing it. As the drive port opened, a red drive chip extended out. A cartoony skull appearing distinctly on it, Hiro took a moment to look at it before reaching to grab it.

Grasping it in his hand, the boy merely stared at it almost sorrowfully. Recalling all of the pain that was associated with this "combat chip" he had originally designed to work in conjunction with Tadashi's healthcare chip to apprehend Yokai. Instead, on its own, red chip became an extension of the boy's pain and anguish, his unrelenting anger and all-consuming desire to avenge Tadashi. The chip went against Baymax's programming to never hurt another human being, it went against Tadashi's principles...

"/Hiro. Are you all right? /" the active Baymax waddled closer and noted the fluctuating neurotransmitter levels that coincided with Hiro's emotional state. Hiro looked up at his healthcare companion, "Yeah, buddy... it's just that... with this chip I almost made you go against your programming... Tadashi's wishes to protect and heal people, to not harm them..."

"/Losing a loved one can be emotionally difficult to cope with. Feelings of grief can cause anyone to experience any of the stages of grieving, including anger. It is natural, but this is why it is important to have emotional support to work through those feelings./" Baymax responded formally.

Hiro looked down at his hand, looking at the skull he marked on the combat chip, "Yeah... but I almost killed Callaghan in cold blood through you..." Baymax simply blinked, allowing Hiro some time to continue speaking his mind.

"Tadashi taught me to use my mind for something more important. And he always believed in helping others. Just like you, in a way, he hoped to program me to never hurt another human being. He wanted us to be way more, to help others. So... I will never ask you to harm another person again..." the boy reflected on his older brother, the pain and anger he held towards Callaghan in causing his death.

The very chip he held in his hand was a physical manifestation symbolic of that pain and anger. And he knew, it was something he had to let go in time. For Abigail, for Tadashi, perhaps even for Callaghan himself. But most importantly, for himself to let go. Then perhaps he'll find greater peace and be able to embrace Tadashi's wishes even more, and try to fully cherish his memory unsullied by the circumstances that took him away.

Muttering to himself, "Never again..." Hiro inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, his grip on the chip ever so tight...

*Crack*

Opening his eyes, he looked down to see the red combat chip broken in half as the crack streaked along the skull. He unceremoniously let it fall into a trash can, watching it as it fell. Baymax simply blinked, allowing Hiro this personal moment.

The young boy went to the Silent Sparrow Baymax, gently pushing the access port in. With a cord connected to the robot, he turned around to key into a tablet. "Well, let's at least run some diagnostics to see if your 'brother' will be able to run programs once he has a chip in him..." Hiro said as he focused on the tablet.

Suddenly, a screen appeared on the inactive Baymax...

"Hey there. This is Tadashi Hamada."

A very familiar and welcome voice could be heard from the inactive Baymax. Hiro stammered surprisingly, "What the...? Ta- Tadashi...?" The young boy's eyes widened with surprise as he looked up to see his older brother appearing on a screen from the robot's chest. Smiling the way he always did.

"This robot is 'Baymax.' I designed him as a personal healthcare companion. If you are seeing this message, then this means that Baymax has been separated from his healthcare matrix chip... It's a green chip with a smiling nurse bot face on it. You'll know it if you see it. Has my name on it too...

Anyways… That chip is what makes Baymax, well... Baymax. It's important that it finds its way back to him. He was designed to help people, but he can't perform that function without the chip. And... I hope he hasn't snuck off too far and caused any trouble for you. If you found him, I have the biggest favor to ask of you..."

On the projected screen, Tadashi could be seen sheepishly rubbing the back of his head as he chuckled before looking back up at the camera.

"Please find me or bring Baymax back to the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. It would mean so much to me and I'll be sure to compensate you for rescuing my robot buddy."

The young man smiled charmingly. Whereupon he lifted his finger to make a point, "If for some reason I can't be reached, you can try finding me at my place at the Lucky Cat Cafe. Come see the owner. In advance, I apologize if it's a bit overwhelming to meet my Aunt Cass, who runs the cafe. I hope you come with an appetite. She'll definitely feed you as a thank you for bringing back my Baymax. You'll quickly learn how welcoming she is." Once again, Tadashi chuckled heartily as he smiled towards the video recording.

"If I'm still not available, you could bring him to my little brother, Hiro. He's a little troublemaker, I'll warn you. Sometimes a bit too smart for his own good." At this point, Hiro laughed and smiled at this. He rolled his eyes lightly at the comment, recalling some of the many moments Tadashi bailed him out of trouble.

The boy continued to listen to his late brother, "He can get snarky but he's a good kid with a kind heart. Hiro's a talented tech whiz with insane potential and skill, so if Baymax is damaged I know he can repair him. So, you could leave Baymax with my little brother. He'll be in good hands."

With a large smile remaining on the boy's face, Hiro tapped his hands on the inactive Baymax's shoulder, saying to it, "You were right, Tadashi... Baymax is in good hands. I'll do my best to take care of him for you."

The boy genius then saw his brother place his hand along his mouth as he seemed to be contemplating something. Finally, Tadashi spoke up, "Lastly, if I or my brother are not available. Please, take Baymax to Dr. Lilliana Bay at the University of California San Fransokyo Parnassus-Hashimoto Hospital. I guess you can say she's Baymax's mother... of sorts."

Hiro's eyes widened, gasping at the revelation as he listened to this hidden recording Tadashi left behind.

"She helped develop the core medical functions of Baymax, including his 10,000 medical procedures that I coded into the healthcare chip in collaboration with her vast medical knowledge.

Baymax would just be a talking, huggable balloon were it not for her contributions. If the original chip was lost or damaged, she will definitely be able to help. I left a prototype chip with her when we were still in our development and trial phases."

Hiro looked up at the open access port of the first model Baymax. He thought to himself in shock, _A prototype chip? There's another healthcare chip!_

Tadashi continued, "I know this is a lot to ask... but Baymax means a lot to me. He's meant to help people. And that's possible with his chip. If you can help me put him back together, I promise you he will be able to help a lot of people. Your act of kindness will not go unrewarded.

And once it's all said and done, I hope you are into hugs. You'll have earned it. From Baymax, of course. I designed him to be a walking marshmallow for a reason. Well, I'll probably give you a hug, too. Anyways, you have my thanks. Tadashi, signing off."

The projected screen disappeared, leaving Hiro bewildered. He turned around to look at the active Baymax who was merely observing. "Y-You have a 'mom,' Baymax?" the young boy asked his health care companion.

Baymax simply canted his head, responding matter-of-factly, "/Yes./"

* * *

**Author's Note: There you have it! Another step forward towards the end of this arc. I will do my best to get the next chapter out. I think you can see the direction I'm taking this... Hiro will meet Baymax's "mom!" I have been absolutely dying to write this and the newer Tempest Redux series that will come after this arc. **

**Thank you for reading my work, this has been a great literary journey that I never expected to take. Please stay tuned and please review, if you'd like. Cheers!**


	34. Legacy (Part One)

**Author's Note: Once again, I apologize. Life is hectic, work is hectic and I've been wanting to write more and more. This is a bit long overdue, thank you for waiting. This will most likely be a three-part conclusion to the Penitent Sparrow arc. Thank you for being along for the ride, enjoy the read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 34: Legacy (Part One of the Series Conclusion)**

_In the past, eleven years ago from the present…_

Within the white sterile environment of the hospital clinic room, a little boy sat nervously on the in-patient bed with his mother trying to soothe him. A young teenage girl, clad with a physician's short coat and a stethoscope draped around her neck, squatted down to become level with the toddler.

"Okay, Nathan. I need you to be brave for me, okay?" the young doctor cooed gently, raising the sleeve of the boy's shirt. But the toddler whimpered and shuddered away, fully aware with dreaded anticipation of the imminent pinch he would feel from his shot. She stood up and pondered on how she could give the boy his shot.

The mother hugged her little boy, looking at the prodigious doctor with an apologetic smile, "I am so sorry, Dr. Bay. Nathan's always been so afraid of needles… He's usually so calm with you because you look like his older sister… But I can never get him to calm down for shots."

Dr. Bay smiled empathetically with understanding, "It's okay, ma'am. Wasn't that long ago that I was so afraid of needles myself." The young medical doctor laughed, but then lowered herself down once more towards the little boy, "But it's still very important that you get this, Nathan. It will help you become stronger against getting sick, like a super hero. Can you tell me who your favorite superhero is?"

The little boy looked down timidly, responding with a sniffle, "Captain Fancy…" Dr. Bay smiled warmly, "He's a great super hero! I like him, too. He is very brave and courageous, just like you. You want to be like him, right?"

Nathan simply nodded, but his eyes were still fixated on the needle and he grimaced with fear. He nervously stated, "Yeah… But… I don't like shots…" He looked up to his mother with eyes pleading. The mother and the young doctor looked to each other, sighing.

Suddenly, they heard a knocking on the door. Dr. Bay shortly responded, "Come in!" As the door opened, a doctor wearing a black baseball cap peeked in slowly, "Hey Dr. Bay. How's our little champ doing?" Dr. Bay sighed with a bit of relief, looking over towards the door, "Oh, hey Dr. Hamada! Perfect timing, we could use your help with calming Nathan down for his shot."

The doctor gingerly walked into the room after shutting the door behind him. With dark framed glasses under his well-kept hair, the Japanese-American medical doctor smiled as he greeted the mother and her little boy, "Of course, I would love to help. Good seeing you again, Ms. Chan. And good seeing you, champ!"

He knelt down, his physician long coat draping down over his khaki dress pants, as he raised an open palm near the toddler. Nathan looked up, then timidly high-fived the doctor's hand. Dr. Hamada's face became even more lively, as he began to rummage through his pocket within his long coat, "I heard you've been a gentleman to Dr. Bay, Nathan. So, I got something for you that I think you will like! I made a few of these with my son, Tadashi…"

With his interest piqued, the young boy began to lean forward from his mother's side and towards Dr. Hamada. Until the good doctor found exactly what he was looking for, grasping something in his hand and then motioning his fist closely to the young boy. He asked teasingly, "You want to see, Nathan?"

The young boy nodded quickly in pleasant anticipation. Dr. Hamada smiled as he flipped his hand and opened his fingers to reveal a small robotic toy in his palm. Nathan's face brightened, as he quickly snatched the toy and pressed a button that suddenly allowed the robot to move on its own.

Dr. Bay knelt down besides the boy, the needle behind her back, "Pretty cool, huh?" The boy nodded enthusiastically as he became utterly entranced by the tiny machine, watching it as it moved.

Dr. Hamada sneakily walked around and took the syringe from Dr. Bay, surreptitiously moving about in a way that wouldn't catch the boy's attention. Without uttering a word, Dr. Hamada silently counted down with his fingers and then slyly inserted the needle into the boy's arm.

The toddler yelped and spun around, grabbing his arm and rubbing where he had the shot. Dr. Hamada was already placing the needle in the sharps container as he exclaimed, "Just a small pinch, right? You did great, little man!"

The boy scowled, but Dr. Hamada knelt down and smiled gently, "You were very brave, Nathan. I think you really earned that robot. That's yours now, if you'd like?" As the boy rubbed his arm, he looked at the robot and then quickly changed his expression as he nodded joyously.

The boy turned to his mother, "Look, mommy! A robot!" The mother smiled, "I know, it's so cool, right Nathan? What do you say to the nice doctors?" The boy looked up at them and yelled, "Thank you!"

Dr. Bay lowered down to give the boy a high-five, "Of course, Nathan! Thank you for being a great patient for your visit! High five!" The boy leaned forward to high-five her hand, and the young doctor playfully launched herself back as if the boy was super strong. "Whoah! So strong! Looks like you are growing to be a little super hero!" The boy giggled and stood upright with beaming pride.

The mother looked to Dr. Hamada, "Thank you for coming by, Dr. Hamada. You know how Nathan can be with needles." The doctor nodded courteously, "Always a pleasure, Ms. Chan. Just want little Nathan to not be afraid of his visits here. And just one more thing for the little man…"

He searched through his chest pocket on his long coat, pulling out a red lollipop and motioning towards Nathan, "Here you go, champ! You've been a good boy, have a lollipop!" The boy quickly snatched it as they were getting ready to leave the room. The mother nodded to them, "Thank you again, Dr. Hamada, Dr. Bay." The mother and the little boy walked down the hall to check out while they waved goodbye.

The two doctors returned the farewell gestures until they were out of sight. At which point, they both collectively sighed and smiled. Dr. Hamada raised his hand in a high-five gesture, "Good job, Lilly." Dr. Bay unenthusiastically returned the high five and shook her head dismissively, "Thanks, Dr. Hamada. But I couldn't have done that without you coming by to save me."

Dr. Hamada laughed, "Don't be too harsh on yourself, Lilly. Besides your _my_ medical intern, it's my job to come in and save you. But you're doing great for a 16-year-old medical doctor. As wonderful and gifted as I am, even I can't say I was practicing at your age. You'll have your own practice in no time and you will be quite the provider like me."

"Please… even if I started practicing at a younger age and continued practicing for a decade or three, I don't think I'll ever be your equal, Dr. Hamada," Dr. Bay responded rather bashfully, she was always being made painfully aware that she was a young prodigy going through medical school and now her internship. But she didn't enjoy the attention or praise, it made her rather uncomfortable and embarrassed. She simply wanted to get better at being a provider and helping people.

Dr. Hamada grinned haughtily, "Far too humble, Lilly. Be proud of where you are at! But I guess you are right. Not everyone can be me. I am just _that_ awesome, after all." The doctor playfully stood tall and proud like a hero, his hands along his sides as he took a deep inhale in as if he was basking in his own glory.

Lilly shook her head in astonishment, laughing at her mentor's antics. Dr. Toshiro Hamada could be both mockingly and seriously prideful of his capabilities, but this was perhaps warranted and well-earned. Within the teaching and clinical staff at the UCSF Parnassus-Hashimoto Hospital, he was among the most accomplished attending physicians and adjunct professors. He was known to be a clinical genius as a practitioner, but also a very compassionate man with a passion for teaching as well as healing. Cocky as he could be, it was perhaps justified and never distasteful. Dr. Toshiro Hamada truly stood out as one with an exceeding intellect, that was only surpassed by his kindness and genuine care for those under his care and tutelage.

Suddenly, a medical assistant peaked her head around to speak towards Dr. Hamada, "If you're done stroking your ego, doctor… Your wife and two sons are here to visit you."

The door opened, with a young brown-haired woman walking in with a devilish smirk, "Don't worry, Janice. I'll be sure he deflates that big head of his…"

Toshiro smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, that won't be necessary, Helen…" The medical assistant, Janice, and Dr. Bay both laughed, as the young woman feistily leaned up towards Dr. Hamada's face with a menacing expression. Dr. Hamada laughed uneasily, "You always keep me humble, my love…"

Now donning a sweet expression, Helen Hamada playfully leaned forward for a kiss. "Good. Have to set a good example for the boys."

Lilly laughed, "Yeah, you tell him Mrs. Hamada!" Dr. Hamada simply groaned and pouted. Helen looked behind Toshiro, exploding with excitement as she dashed around her husband to hug Dr. Bay, "Lilly! How's my favorite teen doctor doing? Have a boyfriend, yet? I hope you being a doctor doesn't intimidate and scare off boys your age away?"

Not prepared for the outburst of rapid-fire personal questioning, Dr. Bay waved her hands emphatically, her face becoming flushed as she quickly shook her head, "Oh, no. Not at all, Mrs. Hamada. Or I mean- I don't have a boyfriend. I don't know if I scare them off, but I got work to focus on anyways… You know, being a doctor and all."

Helen chuckled as she pat Lilly on the back, "It's okay, Lilly. You'll find the one, I'm sure. But when you do, make sure they stay humble and honest. Especially when you have kids…" She turned towards Dr. Hamada, who just had a hand over his face as he shook his head. She continued, "Oh help me, if one of the boys inherits your smug attitude, Toshi… I don't know if I can handle more of _that_ in the house."

Dr. Hamada then laughed heartily, "Well, I don't think we'll have that issue, love. At least, not with Tadashi. Maybe, Hiro though..."

Helen gasped, "Not _my_ baby boy! Don't even joke like that, Toshi. He's too sweet to be like you!" Toshiro mockingly gasped in kind, "Hey! I can be sweet, too!"

Lilly giggled, then canted her head in wonder, "Speaking of the boys… Where are they, Mrs. Hamada?"

Suddenly appearing to be distressed, the young mother quickly spun around and glanced behind her, "Oh no! I swear they were right behind me!"

Dr. Hamada's eyes grew wide, "Helen?! Where are the boys?!"

Then Mrs. Hamada threw her hands up disarmingly to calm her husband, laughing giddily, "I'm just kidding! Relax! They're right outside in the waiting room. Tadashi is grabbing Hiro some gummy bears from the vending machine and Janice is watching them from the front desk."

Toshiro's eyes squinted further with an unamused expression, causing Helen to playfully punch him in the arm, "I was just kidding, dear! You know I wouldn't let them go unattended, those boys are trouble on their own!"

With a laugh, Dr. Bay began to walk down the hall towards the front desk lobby, "Well, I'll go check on them to make sure they haven't somehow tricked the machine to give them all of the gummy bears."

The Hamada couple quickly looked at each other, then nodded, as Helen conceded, "Oh, yeah please make sure they haven't done that. It wouldn't be the first time."

As Dr. Lilliana Bay walked down the hall towards the lobby, she could hear the voice of an adolescent boy, "Here, Hiro! Can you press the button with 'B6' on it?" The young doctor was then treated to the sight of young Tadashi holding up the three-year-old boy up towards the vending machine button display. The little boy put his small hand to his face as he looked at the buttons, contemplating.

Dr. Bay smiled, wondering to herself, _He only just turned three. Will he pick the right one?_ Much to her surprise, the boy hovered his finger towards the "B6" button but could not yet reach it. The messy-haired toddler looked down at his older brother, pumping his finger upward, "'Dashi, go up."

Tadashi chuckled, "Okay! Here we go!" The older brother playfully scooped underneath the toddler's underarms, extending his arms straight up to raise young Hiro all the way up. In the toddler's case, _way_ too high up. Now the toddler was unable to even reach down at the button, so the little boy pouted, "Too high up, 'Dashi!"

"What was that, Hiro? You're too high up, I can't hear you little bro!" Tadashi playfully yelled up at his younger brother, much to the boy's chagrin. With a moment, the boy looked around like he was going to ask for help from someone else. Then the toddler suddenly had a devilish grin with a moment of serendipity, looking at the button and swinging his little leg to kick it.

As the machine began to drop a bag of gummy bears down into the chute, Hiro's face brightened up with excitement. He began to swing his legs more in anticipation, "Ok, let me down please!" To avoid being kicked, Tadashi eased him down to the floor, "Ok, ok! Hold on! Yeesh!"

As soon as he was set down, Hiro dashed to fish his hand in the vending machine chute and attempt to grab his prize. Dr. Bay walked nearby the boys, stating, "Another clever boy. Must run in the family huh, Tadashi?" The adolescent boy turned around to see the teenage doctor smiling and greeting him warmly.

"Yeah, but he's a handful…" With hands slickly placed in his pockets, Tadashi quickly took one out and reached towards Dr. Bay, "How are you doing, doc?" Lilly met the boy's hand and shook it, noting how formal and firm his mannerisms were for a 7-year-old. She chuckled warmly, "Always the little gentleman, Tadashi. I'm doing well, thank you. You know? I saw the robot you and your father made, great work."

The young Tadashi nodded and smiled, "Yeah. Dad and I have been making more of them. He got a lot of kits for us to build. I like medicine, but I think I might like robotics even more." Indeed, Dr. Bay had been lucky enough to get to know Tadashi during his visits and to see his interests grow, as well as his growing aptitude for the sciences. He was a bright, mature and kind-hearted kid, always wanting to help others and remaining fiercely protective of his little brother. Even for herself, she recognized that Tadashi, much like his father, was truly gifted and meant to make a mark on the world with their passion and compassion.

It was something about the Hamada family, that she could just tell that they were special. She nodded and conceded, "Well, who is to say maybe you can't do both?"

Tadashi looked up at Dr. Bay, chuckling as if something sparked within him all of a sudden, "Yeah… maybe. Thanks, Dr. Bay... I'll remember that."

At this point, Hiro had successfully grabbed the bag of gummy bears out of the machine. His face was one of triumph, spinning around towards his brother with a grin. But as soon as he saw Lilly waving at him, he timidly frowned and looked down.

"Still shy around me, huh? It's okay, little Hiro," Dr. Bay cooed gently, kneeling down to his level. But the boy shyly stepped behind Tadashi. The older brother spun around, "Hey, it's okay, little bro. You've met Dr. Bay before. She works with daddy. She's not mean. She's really nice."

Tadashi gently nudged the little boy in Dr. Bay's direction, while he looked down timidly and hung onto his gummy bear bag. Lilly spoke warmly, "That's right. Your daddy would be very happy to see you visit him at his work. Want to come see him and show him what you got?" She slowly pointed at his gummy bear bag.

Hiro turned around to look at Tadashi, who nodded at him reassuringly and then continued to nudge him more. Dr. Bay carefully and gently stretched a hand out to the boy. Hiro looked at it for a moment, then finally grabbed her hand. Lilly smiled down at the boy, who looked up at her through tufts of fluffy hair that almost covered his eyes from that angle.

With the toddler in tow, Lilly gingerly walked down the hall to Dr. Hamada's office with Tadashi following closely next to little Hiro. In the office, Toshiro and Helen were sitting beside each other at the desk, looking at a computer. As soon as Dr. Hamada saw them, he rushed around the desk towards them, "There's my boys! Mission accomplished, right Hiro?"

Scooping the child up, he gave the little boy a gigantic hug. Without a word, Hiro looked down timidly between his father and the gummy bears. The toddler lifted the bag towards Toshiro, who smiled at his son, "You want to share some with daddy?" Hiro simply nodded, as Toshiro did his best to make robotic noises while he made his hand swoop down into the bag with pretend machine-like stiffness.

With a gummy bear in hand, Dr. Hamada launched it in the air and opened his mouth. But the gummy bear landed right under his eye and bounced off. Luckily, he caught the gummy bear before it would be lost. At that, the toddler smiled and chuckled lightly.

"Think that's funny huh, buddy? Let's try that again, shall we?" Toshiro threw the gummy bear again and landed it directly in his open mouth. Suddenly, Dr. Hamada began to exasperate, causing Hiro's eyes to widen with surprise. Lilly motioned towards the coughing physician, "You okay, Dr. Hamada?"

Before she could move to grab Hiro from the doctor, she felt Helen grab her by the shoulder and stop her in her place. Lilly looked towards Mrs. Hamada, who was merely shaking her head and smiling, "Wait for it…" Lilly looked down at Tadashi, who was only crossing his arms at the spectacle as if they'd seen this before too many times.

Suddenly, Dr. Hamada just stopped coughing and then looked at Hiro, sticking out his tongue to reveal the gummy bear atop it. From a look of surprise and shock, Hiro suddenly giggled and smiled widely, the space between his two front teeth more apparent. Eating the gummy bear quickly, Toshiro smiled warmly at his son, "There's that smile I've been waiting all day to see!"

Dr. Hamada looked at his little boy, "Tadashi nii-san and I finished more robot figures. Want to see them, Hiro? I have them on my desk." Hiro nodded emphatically with a smile. Toshiro looked to Tadashi, motioning his head towards the desk to tell his eldest son to follow. Without skipping a beat, Tadashi followed his father and his little brother to the desk. They began to tinker with the robotic figures and show them to Hiro, much to the toddler's delight.

As Lilly looked on, enjoying the wholesome interaction, she suddenly heard Helen speaking to her, "He's been trying to get Hiro to be more comfortable around him. It's not easy, especially when Toshiro has to work, teach and speak at medical conferences _constantly_… The time away has made it hard for them to bond."

This caught Lilly by surprise. In all of the time that she had interacted with Mrs. Hamada, she was always very spritely, with a fierce personality that could be very playful or even commanding. For the first time, Lilly noted that Helen wore a sullen expression as she looked at her husband interacting with their sons. She _loved_ her family vehemently. The young mother just wanted her family to be together more.

"When Toshiro is away for longer durations at conferences across the country, Hiro tends to be shyer and more distant with him. Like he's a stranger and there has to be a longer warm-up period…" Helen then smiled lightly, "But Hiro is trying to get to know his father, too. You can see it. It's like he doesn't want to forget him."

"That's why this upcoming conference will be the last one he'll be speaking at for a while. He wants to spend more time with Tadashi and Hiro while they are still growing up, you know? Of course, I would like him to be home more often, too," Mrs. Hamada chuckled softly.

Huddling Hiro within his arms as the boy tinkered with the robot figures and taking them apart to examine them, Toshiro looked towards his wife. He had heard her every word, smiling softly at her. The two looked on at each other, a mutual agreement that they wanted to give more of their time to their children.

Helen grinned, as she continued, "That's why I'll be going with him to the conference trip. It's been a while since just the two of us had a road trip together. No kids, no café to run. Just _us_ and our own 'sort-of vacation trip.' Except of course, he'll be working, and I'll get to enjoy the venue like a tourist." Mrs. Hamada laughed playfully, as she saw her husband pout at her.

"Well, you both work so hard. You deserve the time together." Lilly nodded, then canted her head slightly, "So, who is going to watch over the boys while you two are gone?"

Helen appeared like she was taken aback, "You, of course! Toshiro didn't tell you it's part of your intern duties?"

"WHAT?! He can't just volunteer- !" Lilly's eyes opened wide as she stumbled, catching her glasses and then fixing them back to her face. She immediately darted her eyes at Dr. Hamada, who grinned devilishly at her.

Mrs. Hamada merely laughed at her reaction, "Just kidding, dear! My sister will be watching over them. The boys love spending time with their Aunt Cass anyways."

Dr. Bay sighed heavily with an air of relief, adjusting her glasses more, "Will she be able to handle running the Lucky Cat _while_ watching over the boys without you?"

Helen laughed, "You know my sister. She has enough energy to go around. The boys and the Lucky Cat will be in good hands."

Lilly winced at the thought of Cass having to keep the boys out of trouble while ensuring that the Lucky Cat runs smoothly. After all, the café that Cass and Helen had opened up has only been in operation for a year now. It was a growing operation with increasing local popularity. The Lucky Cat Café was attracting a loyal following along with a constant flow of new visitors due to the sisters' eclectic-themed menus. Business could get overwhelming at times. Raising a finger up, Dr. Bay offered, "Well, when I have the chance, I can come by to help her out?"

"To help out with the boys or the Lucky Cat? Have you gotten any better at making a cup of 'panda-ccino?' Customers don't like to start their day with sad pandas, you know?" Helen quipped, winking at the teenage doctor.

Lilly frowned, "That was before I practiced… I've gotten a lot better, I promise! Cass showed me the way to do it right!"

Helen laughed even louder, "I am just kidding! Of course! I know Cass would really appreciate the help. Thanks, Lilly." Mrs. Hamada reached in and hugged the young medical doctor, "Really, thank you. Even as a medical intern, you make Toshiro's job so much easier on him. Come drop by anytime while we're gone, even if it's just to visit the boys. Bring your appetite, though. You know how Cass is."

Lilly chuckled, "Yeah. Thanks, Mrs. Hamada, I will." Looking down at her watch, Dr. Bay frowned, "I… have to catch a seminar soon. When will you two be hitting the road?"

Dr. Hamada stood up, "We're heading out tomorrow morning. Dr. Glendale will be overseeing you while I'm gone, but I know you'll hold things down here, Lilly."

Dr. Bay nodded confidently, "You can count on me, Dr. Hamada."

Toshiro smiled, speaking haughtily, "Of course. I did teach you, _myself_. So, I expect nothing less from you." He walked up to his mentee, tapping her on the shoulder with a confident smile.

Dr. Bay smiled back, "Thank you, Dr. Hamada. For everything you do. Good luck on your presentations. And… enjoy more time with your family." Seeing how hard her mentor was always working, and the toll it took on him and his family, she appreciated and respected him.

She hugged him, as the doctor chuckled, "Always the hugger to the max, huh Dr. Bay? Of course… Lilly. You're part of the family, too. Thank you for being awesome. Not quite as awesome as me, but you're getting there, kid."

Dr. Bay chuckled as she shook her head. Knowing that it will be a few weeks before she will be seeing her mentor again, Lilly took out her phone, "Before I go to my seminar… Can I take a picture with us… altogether?"

Helen and Toshiro looked at each other and smiled, Helen responding right away, "Of course, dear." As they herded their boys with them, the Hamada family stood together in a corner of the office. Toshiro took off his San Fransokyo Ninjas baseball cap, placing it on top of Tadashi's head. The adolescent boy grinned, trying to adjust the hat to fit on his smaller head. The young Hiro clung onto the leg of his mother, as Helen hugged the small boy closer to her affectionately.

From across the office room, Lilly propped her phone up on a shelf to capture all of them in the camera's view. Setting the timer up, she pressed it. Immediately running besides Dr. Hamada and Tadashi, alongside the Hamada family. Together smiling, they looked at the screen as the countdown timer flashed…

5…

4…

3…

2…

* * *

_Once more, in the present…_

Sitting down at the desk, in that very same office… Dr. Lilliana Bay was typing away at a medical report on her computer, when she looked over at a photograph frame at the corner of the desktop table. She smiled heartily at the image of the Hamada family, reminiscing upon that moment.

That photo was among her most valued possessions from its sheer sentimental value… it was the last moment she would see the family together like that. The last moment she saw Toshiro and Helen Hamada…

She was interrupted mid-thought by her young medical assistant, who stammered into the doorway of the office, "Dr. Bay...? Ummm. Do you have a moment? There's someone here who wishes to see you. Says it's very important that they meet you in person."

Dr. Bay chuckled, "Hey, Karen. If it's Mrs. Matsuda, please tell her not to worry. The medicine will help. She'll just have to wear more... appropriate clothing for the weather this season... And well, her age... But don't tell her that last part, please!" The attending physician stammered, realizing she shouldn't have completely spoken her mind.

The medical assistant pushed her hands out and waved her head, "Oh no, doctor. It's not Mrs. Matsuda... Actually, it's a boy and his robot..."

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Well, there you have it! A very long flashback I have been trying to work out for a while to start off this series' three-part conclusion chapters. Sorry, I can never seem to do a single chapter without finding myself expanding it into more parts!**

**But this was a fun chapter to write, since I get to introduce my take on three different characters! Of course, there is Dr. Lilliana "Lilly" Bay, the "mother of Baymax." You can sort of see her background, she herself being a medical prodigy at a young age. In reality, there are medical doctors who have earned their medical degree at such a young age, look it up. Crazy right?**

**But then, there is the Hamada family, with Hiro and Tadashi's parents!**

**Now, I know that from the original comic source material, their names are Tomeo and Maemi. But for the Disney rendition of Big Hero 6, they were left unnamed. For their father, I chose to name him as Toshiro as an audible blending of Tadashi and Hiro of sorts. But also, the name "Toshiro" means "clever son," which speaks to their father's side of unbridled intellect. I also decided to make him a medical doctor, showing where Tadashi's appreciation for medicine came from.**

**And for their mother, I chose Helen for Helen of Troy. Now this might be a weird connection, but Aunt Cass could be short for Cassandra. In Homer's The Iliad, Cassandra was the unheeded prophetess who predicted the fall of Troy. So, I figured, I would give Cass' sister a name from the same story, hence, Helen Hamada. Plus, her name starting with letter 'H,' strengthens her connection with Hiro as a chosen name by her and Toshiro. Helen Hamada… Hiro Hamada. HH, HH. Right?**

**Of course, I am weaving a backstory to their parent's tragic and abrupt end, which you can piece together with a previous flashback with young Tadashi and Aunt Cass…**

**On a lighter note! Of course, The Series' "The Present" episode really helped me to want to do more with younger Hiro and Tadashi's interactions too!**

**But here we go. I am doing my best to not let life bog down my creative process. I want to get this series completed. Been wanting to for a long time! So, hang tight, thank you for waiting and reading my work! Stay tuned!**


	35. Legacy (Part Two)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

* * *

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 35: Legacy (Part Two of the Series Conclusion)**

Within the clandestine sub-level lab found deep within the constructs of Akuma Island, Callaghan, Abigail, Krei and Granville sat together within one of the finely-lit conference rooms.

Alistair stood from his chair, addressing them, "I understand that this might be unexpected coming from me. But… These machines must not exist. I am planning to arrange for the destruction of the Penitent Sparrow machines. Also, I'll be asking Hiro to delete all information pertaining to the project, so that it can't be recreated."

In her typical fashion, Granville sat with her fingers interlocked together as she looked to her colleagues and verbally jabbed at Mr. Krei, "Yes, that's very unexpected of you, Mr. Krei. With a fully-functional machine, you could easily turn a massive profit. Of course, you couldn't do business with the government. But you're no stranger to back-door deals in unsavory places. So, why the sudden change of business strategy? Surely not to deceive us and actually keep the files, I presume?"

The professor was speaking with tongue-in-cheek, but she was indeed highlighting some of Professor Callaghan's own thoughts on the matter. These were concerns that needed to be addressed, especially if Krei saw fit to bring them up.

Although Callaghan has been able to become more cordial in his interactions with Krei, the former professor could not trust him and Granville knew that Callaghan would have his suspicious concerns over Krei due to their past.

Krei waved his hands defensively, "No, not at all! It's just that… even I can see that this tech is dangerous. It's caused enough trouble for all of us… Even I have to atone for my mistakes, right?" Krei looked towards Callaghan, but Callaghan simply nodded in appreciation of Krei's sentiment.

The business tycoon continued, "And in the wrong hands, this tech could do some serious damage on a massive scale. As far as I'm concerned, even Krei Tech will not pursue this technology anymore. That's why I would have Hiro take care of the data. He's far too capable of going through my data and he would know if I'm hiding it or not… Even though I keep telling him my private information is to remain _private_…"

Granville grinned behind her interlocked hands, "I am simply being facetious, Mr. Krei. I am actually in agreeance with you. This technology is far too dangerous to be in existence. That dimension is far beyond our comprehension, and the storm just adds further proof that to use it any further would be to be playing with fire. Wouldn't you agree, Robert? Abigail?"

Professor Callaghan looked to each of them, then smiled slightly, "I appreciate that sentiment, you two. Under different circumstances, I would agree with you both. But it may surprise you that I have actually discussed this very issue already with Abigail and Hiro. They both have witnessed firsthand what this machine can do, what it can take away. So, we came up with a different solution I believe the both of you can agree to."

The former professor stood up from his seat to walk towards the window overlooking the hanger bay that housed the Penitent Sparrow machines. Granville and Krei were shocked at his response, curious to their preconceived plan.

Abigail nodded and continued for her father, "When I first agreed to participate in Project Silent Sparrow, I was excited at the prospects of what this technology could mean for the world. I have always enjoyed exploring the world and connecting with others. So, I believed that this technology would allow for the world to be even more connected, with instantaneous travel no matter how far apart we are physically. It cannot be denied that this tech can possibly change the world for the better."

Placing a hand on the window, Callaghan shook his head, "Don't get me wrong. I agree that this tech is dangerous. We all can attest to that. But Abigail is right. There may be a time when this technology can revolutionize humankind for the better. That time may not be _now_. But we cannot deny that someone else may revisit this technology and seek to rebuild it. The original Silent Sparrow project development team is still out there, after all... If and when that time comes, others may open '_Pandora's Box_' and not understand how to deal with the other side. As it stands, we are the only ones who have the most understanding of how this works, even if that isn't much in the grand scheme of things. It will be folks such as ourselves, who may be able to help with any of the problems it brings with it. That can only be possible, if we maintained information from what we learned from this project. We've certainly designed a safer version than the Silent Sparrow iteration."

Granville's eyebrow raised, "So, you are proposing that we simply shelf this project? How do we ensure that this data will remain secure? And what of the machine itself?"

Abigail responded, "I think we are all in agreement that the machines themselves should be destroyed as a measure to keep this hidden and to ensure that it cannot be readily misused by anyone."

At that, everyone within the conference room nodded in agreement. Callaghan turned towards all members within the room, "Hiro has already made arrangements to ensure that this data would be properly secured. He has made a compilation of our project blueprints and all relevant data in observing the other dimension. It's all now encrypted into a single drive. All other records of it no longer exist or are inaccessible through other means."

Mr. Krei choked, "I'm sorry, he did what behind my back?!"

Abigail chuckled, "Sorry, Alistair. Hiro and I didn't expect you would be so responsible with it. But really, kudos to you. You've really come a long way. I mean that."

Alistair sighed heavily, "Well, fine. I guess that worked out, I suppose. So much for him being _my intern_. Kid just does what he pleases…"

Callaghan motioned towards his daughter, "If you would be so kind, Abigail?"

"Well, of course." Abigail reached into her purse, taking out a secure container and placing her hand along a panel for it to read her biometric signature. Upon verification, the container opened up to reveal a single hard-drive.

Not surprisingly, Granville was concerned and interjected, "This is all well-and-good, Robert. But who could we possibly entrust that drive to?"

Professor Callaghan and Abigail smiled, with Callaghan tersely responding, "You, old friend."

Taken aback, Professor Granville's eyes widened briefly, "Excuse me?" At this, Abigail stood up and walked towards Granville to present the Project Penitent Sparrow encrypted drive to her.

Abigail placed her hand atop Granville's warmly, "Aunt Grace… My father and I… Hiro… we all agree that there is only one person we can all entrust this to. It has to be you. In Hiro's own words, you would be the 'most uptight and overly-cautious one' in its care. He said he was already able to entrust something important with you and this wouldn't be all that different."

Granville looked down at the encrypted drive, seeing that the boy genius had doodled the outline of a sparrow on it. "Mr. Hamada said that, did he?" she remarked, realizing that the boy was referring to her being entrusted with his completed energy amplifier. To have such things in her possession… they were truly imparting a lot of trust on her part.

Callaghan calmly asked his colleague, "So… do you accept this responsibility, Grace? It couldn't be in better hands. You would be the best judge on the time this technology may be accessed again."

The professor looked at each and everyone in the room, and then back at the Penitent Sparrow drive. Looking up at them collectively, she nodded self-assuredly and confidently, "I accept this responsibility on behalf of the team. This will remain safely in my possession, I promise." Taking the drive from Abigail's hand, she tucked the drive back into the secured container. Together, they looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Callaghan nodded, his arms crossed before his body, "Thank you, Grace. Then that's that. Thankfully, everything fell into place, and now… my job here is done. And I suppose Mike should be well finished up with Project Sindri up top. It's been a pleasure being with all of you, I truly mean that… but I know that I can't remain here with you all indefinitely…"

For the old professor, it wasn't the fact that he would have to return to a secured prison cell that troubled him. It was that he would no longer be able to interact with his daughter and even the others so freely. Abigail stood next to her father, her hand rubbing his arm comfortingly. She, too, found it hard to fathom that she would no longer to spend time with her father even like this. The father and daughter hugged each other, bracing for his eventual return to his sentence.

"There's no rush to get you back to your cell, Robert," Granville spoke up. "Dr. Catmull has been instructed to continue to stall Project Sindri's development, even with Project Penitent Sparrow's completion."

This caught the Callaghans' attention, as Professor Granville continued, "It seems you aren't the only one with hidden solutions, Robert. Mr. Hamada personally saw to it and planned for this… as his own personal thanks for all that you two have done."

"What are you talking about, Grace?" Callaghan inquired.

Abigail also asked curiously, "What did Hiro do?"

Granville then turned toward Krei, who was now reaching into the inner pockets of his blazer coat. Alistair retrieved two paper items from his garment, placing it along the table and sliding it towards the two Callaghans. He explained, "This was his plan, with _my_ resources, of course."

Professor Callaghan and Abigail grabbed the two paper items, immediately recognizing them as tickets for a live Kabuki show at the Kabuki-Za War Memorial Theater in downtown San Fransokyo. A place of immense sentimental value to the Callaghan family, where they all once went together religiously with Abigail's mother, Gale Callaghan. It left Callaghan and Abigail at a loss for words.

Alistair continued to explain, "You two can enjoy the show together. Of course, you both will have to use the flexible-display technology to mask your identities… What with you being a known criminal and all… But as I said, the boy's plans but _my resources_."

Granville allowed a smile towards Abigail and her old friend, "While you still have time together, go enjoy it out there. As father and daughter."

Abigail and Callaghan looked at each other and then grinned ecstatically. As Callaghan looked to Granville and Krei, with a heartfelt smile worn by the old professor, he spoke warmly, "Thank you."

* * *

_Back at the UCSF Parnassus-Hashimoto Hospital medical offices…_

With an eyebrow rising above her glasses frame, Dr. Lilliana Bay found her curiosity being piqued by her medical assistant's announcement, "A boy and a robot…? That's odd, but sure. I can see them, please show them in."

All of a sudden, behind the young medical assistant floated the vinyl white marshmallow-frame of an all-too familiar robotic healthcare companion. Baymax peeked around the doorframe, his hand raised in preparation for his trademark circular wave to introduce himself, "/Hello. I am-/"

"B-BAYMAX!" With eyes wide open with joyous surprise, Lilly found herself speeding around her desk and sprinting across the office space directly towards the long-lost healthcare companion. The medical assistant freaked out and quickly ducked around the corner with an embarrassed smile, seeking to sneak away and leave them to it.

Within an instant, Dr. Bay ran headlong and nearly tackled the huggable robot, wrapping her arms around Baymax as she completely allowed herself to nestle her head onto the vinyl belly of the friendly machine. Baymax simply reacted from the sudden hug, "/Oh./" She closed her eyes, a massive grin on her face. In kind, Baymax embraced his co-creator with his marshmallow-like arms enwrapping her entirely.

Baymax hunched over, nestling his head atop hers, "/Hello, Dr. Bay. It is good to see you, again./ Lilly looked up at the distinct eyes of the robot with an uncontrolled grin, "It's so good to see you too, big guy! I had no idea if you were still active!"

From the robotic healthcare companion's perspective, Baymax looked down at his "mother" and conducted a medical scan. Several of Dr. Bay's physiological data populated his view, including the rapid influx of neurotransmitters increasing, namely dopamine and oxytocin levels. "/My scan indicates that you are in great health and are experiencing an elevation in neurotransmitter levels, indicating that you are: happy./"

Dr. Bay smiled, rubbing her arms affectionately along his vinyl surface, "How could I not be happy, silly? Very sweet of you to check up on me, Baymax. Thank you. I never thought I would be able to see you, again…"

Lilly sunk her head once again on hers and Tadashi's long-lost project, feeling herself surrender and melt into his embrace. It was what he was designed for. Were it not for Lilly's penchant for hugging and the healing it provides, Baymax would have been designed differently as more of an utilitarian medical machine. But Tadashi loved the idea of making Baymax a huggable care provider, much like Dr. Bay.

And here he was. Dr. Bay had never expected the possibility that Baymax would still be active and functioning. In an odd sense, it was very much as if Dr. Bay was being reunited with her long-lost child. Just as the healthcare companion said, it was indeed an exhilarating rush of emotions from that elevation of "feel- good hormones."

_But if you are here, could that mean…?_ she thought to herself, pulling herself from this moment. Dr. Bay opened her eyes to see a young boy standing before her. The fourteen-year-old teenager stood there, watching the two reunite with a heartfelt smile. But as soon as Hiro realized that the doctor had now became aware of him, the boy got flustered and forgot how he was going to introduce himself.

With one of his hands rubbing sheepishly along his arm, he cleared his throat and shyly attempted to introduce himself, "H-Hey, doc. We haven't met before. But I know that you helped to create Baymax. I'm Tadashi's-"

Lilly looked on at the boy, seeing his messy black hair, wiry small frame and that unmistakable tooth gap. For an instant, she got a brief flashback of the three-year-old boy who visited this very office eleven years ago.

Releasing herself from Baymax, she immediately closed in and leaned to embrace the young boy. Hiro was quickly taken aback, feeling her hug him tightly, "Oh! Umm. H- Hello there…?" The boy genius laughed embarrassedly, his arms at the sides idly hovering as he was still processing what was going on with meeting this "stranger." He looked up towards Baymax, giving the robot a confused look.

But then he could hear the soft sniffling coming from the doctor, "I know who you are, 'Little Hiro...'" For the doctor, this was an overwhelming moment to have seen not only Baymax again, but also the young boy. Here he was, in her arms. Hiro Hamada. Dr. Toshiro and Helen Hamada's youngest son, Tadashi's baby brother… the last Hamada. A soft stream of tears rolled from her closed eyes, thinking about the Hamada family…

Realizing that she was well aware of who he was, Hiro was even more perplexed, "Uh… H-Have we met before…?" Lilly chuckled embarrassedly, realizing herself that the boy was probably both confused and uncomfortable not truly knowing who _she_ was.

She pulled herself away, adjusting her glasses on her face as she wiped her streams of tears away. "R-Right… sorry about that. I suppose the last time we interacted, you were just turning three. So, I guess I'm not too hurt that you wouldn't remember me," Lilly laughed.

Upon hearing this, Hiro was shocked and then looked down sheepishly, "Oh, I'm sorry. I really don't remember meeting you…" Looking at the young boy, she smiled, "Don't worry about it. Seems even now, I still make you shy, huh?"

Hiro looked up at the doctor with a small, sheepish smile, "Yeah, I guess so?" Lilly laughed, extending her hand out towards the teenage boy, "In that case, allow me to re-introduce myself. I'm Dr. Lilliana Bay. It's so good to finally see you after so long."

Meeting her hand, Hiro shook it firmly with a playful smile, "I'm sorry I can't remember us meeting back then… I mean I was really small at the time, or _smaller_. So… I guess, technically I can say that it's a pleasure to meet you again, Dr. Bay."

Dr. Bay chuckled, as she noted how much the boy had grown up. But there were still distinct features that she could recognize, "Well, you're not so little anymore. But I'm glad to see you never outgrew that fluffy bed-head hair of yours." She playfully ruffled his hair like she did when he was a little toddler, as the young boy laughed and playfully swatted her hand away.

"So, were you my pediatrician or something?" Hiro inquired, wondering how they had met before. Lilly shook her head, "No, not at all. I was still just a medical intern under your father at the time actually?"

This piqued the boy's attention, "My father? You worked with my father before? I didn't even know this was where he worked…" Dr. Bay perked up, walking towards her desk, "Really? You really don't remember much then, do you? I suppose you were really too young…"

While it was true that Tadashi and Aunt Cass had tried to tell stories about his parents, Hiro never really seemed to really give it much thought. He couldn't remember them, their presence, their faces… all he knows that they were just gone after an accident. Was he resentful that they couldn't be there for him and Tadashi? Or perhaps it was just hard to try to feel a connection to strangers? Surely, he understood, thanks to Tadashi and Aunt Cass, that they were wonderful people. But time had seemed to erase what little memory Hiro seemed to have of them.

"I've only heard stories… I don't know much about my dad… or my mom," the young genius laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his head. Lilly frowned, then looked down at her photograph of the Hamada family, "That's a shame. Dr. Toshiro and Helen Hamada were truly amazing people."

With a warm smile on her face, she fondly looked at the photograph and then shifted it towards Hiro, turning the frame so he could see it. Hiro closely studied the picture, it had a family of four within the frame, along with a younger Dr. Bay besides them. Hiro's eyes widened, having never seen the photo before, but he could certainly recognize the faces in it...

Dr. Bay chuckled as she pointed at the picture towards a small toddler with a messy set of black hair, "Recognize this little munchkin at all?" Of course, it was a familiar sight. It was unmistakably Hiro as a toddler.

In the photograph, the tiny boy was shyly clinging onto the leg of a young woman, who had beautiful green eyes and wavy brown hair that just barely extended past her shoulders. She wore a crimson red V-neck shirt and a very familiar silver- turquoise necklace around her. Hiro noted that she was beautiful and had a warm smile, bearing a striking resemblance to her sister, Aunt Cass. In the picture, Helen smiled warmly with a hand fondly hugging the messy-haired little Hiro closer to herself.

Besides them was a younger Tadashi. In his usual cool fashion, he was slyly placing one hand in his pocket as he grinned for the photo. He threw his other hand forward, making a "V" peace sign. Atop his head, the adolescent boy wore the over-sized San Fransokyo Ninjas black baseball cap that seemed to threaten to fall over his face if he moved his head slightly.

Hovering above that boy, with hands proudly along his shoulders, was a slender, young Japanese-American man that stood relatively tall among them. He donned a white physician lab coat that draped down his body, with pockets that were seemingly filled with lollipops that had a few sticking out. Hiro noticed that Tadashi seemed to really take after their father in terms of looks and athletic stature. But what was most apparent, was that their father held a proud smile underneath his square-framed glasses and well-groomed flowing black hair. Toshiro stood ever-so-close to his wife, two children and his young mentee, Dr. Bay.

"I've… never seen this picture before…" Hiro continued to be mesmerized, seeing this image from a distant past that eluded him. A reminder that there was once a time that his family was completely whole, that it appeared that they were all happy together.

Dr. Bay became sullen, "I'm truly sorry you didn't get to know them personally, Hiro. But you should know, that he and your mother loved you both very much. I was blessed to have been mentored by your father. You may not understand this yet, but Dr. Hamada's legacy lives on. He was a great man, and I can see a part of him in you and Tadashi. He helped countless people in San Fransokyo and was well-respected and loved. He was also _very_ cocky and smug, but with good reason. He was brilliant and he knew it. Your mother worried that you or Tadashi would act like him." She giggled, recalling the Hamada's playful argument.

Hiro laughed shyly, knowing full well that he had indeed became something like his father, to the boy's surprise. Tadashi and Aunt Cass spoke highly of his father but hearing this actually made him feel like Hiro could relate more to his late father. As he looked at the image of his father, in this photo he could tell that the man was loving and proud.

Lilly watched the young boy, "That was eleven years ago. That photo remains to be one of my most cherished possessions. It's a memory that I will always hold dear…" While Hiro continued to study the picture, Dr. Bay picked up another photograph frame to show him, "And this… is another one."

As Hiro set down the Hamada family photo, he immediately recognized that the photograph in the doctor's hands contained herself, standing alongside Tadashi and Baymax inside Tadashi's SFIT lab room. Dr. Bay was leaning into Baymax's balloon-like frame as she hugged the robot. Tadashi stood there, tall and proud with his hands in his pockets. Baymax between his two creators, a hand lifted to greet the camera.

Dr. Bay looked towards Baymax, who was also curiously looking at the photograph alongside Hiro. "You remember that day, don't you Baymax?" Dr. Bay asked the healthcare companion.

"/Certainly./" the robot responded, with a bright screen populating his center body. Within the screen, an image of the all-too familiar SFIT lab room could be seen. Tadashi stood in the middle of it, smiling as the image prepared to play…

* * *

_Within the lab room Tadashi and Dr. Bay stood before the activating Baymax, sunlight emanating from the round window centered along the wall. The young man was smirking triumphantly at their creation, as the healthcare companion inflated from his port._

"/Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. Hello, Tadashi. Hello, Dr. Bay/" the white marshmallow robot waved his hand along to greet his two creators. Lilly giddily clapped her hands together rapidly and sprang forward to immediately hug Baymax, to which the robot responded in kind.

"He's amazing, Tadashi! _You're_ amazing!" Dr. Bay roared with excitement as she snuggled the machine. Tadashi laughed as he rubbed the back of his head, "I had to make quite a few adjustments from the last time you saw him… But hey, the saying goes: '_84 times the charm,_' right?"

Dr. Bay giggled, "I don't think that's how that saying goes… But, all of your hard work and dedication really paid off, Tadashi."

Tadashi smirked, "If you think that's impressive, wait until you see this. All of your dedication and expert input at work…" As Dr. Bay continued to snuggle and admire the cuddly robotic craftsmanship, Tadashi looked up at Baymax, "Okay, buddy. Please scan Dr. Bay."

"/Okay. Scanning Dr. Bay…/" Lilly looked up at Baymax, whose gaze was set towards her. She could hear the robot processing the active medical scan they had been attempting to perfect for months. Baymax announced momentarily, "/Scan complete. Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated, indicating that you are: happy./"

Lilly hopped up gleefully, "Yes! Yes, I am! Great job, Baymax!" In that moment, excitement and curiosity possessed the good doctor, as she wanted to see how much of her input had helped in Baymax's scanner design.

"Okay, Baymax! Please pull up a comprehensive patient care report for me to see!" Dr. Bay requested with excited anticipation. Baymax complied, "/Okay, Dr. Bay. I am compiling all relevant data from my scans./"

A digital screen illuminated the center of his body, as several graphs and data populated a massive report. Immensely impressed and satisfied, Dr. Bay swiped her hand along the screen to scroll through Baymax's scan results. The data contained information ranging from Dr. Bay's current neurotransmitter and hormonal profile, blood lab values, vital signs and allergies, to name a few. It was truly impressive that in a short, non-invasive scan, Baymax was able to provide real-time data on her medical condition and history.

Dr. Bay placed her hands along her mouth, she was almost speechless and completely awe struck. Baymax's healthcare chip programming was complete, and their project could certainly help to revolutionize medicine and truly help with improving the accuracy of diagnosing diseases.

Tadashi stood beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Well, doc? Did he turn out how you imagined?" Lilly looked to him and adjusted her glasses along her face, "Even better… Tadashi, you made something that will truly change the face of medicine."

Looking at Baymax's face, Tadashi jokingly remarked, "Yeah, well medicine will now have an adorable face, won't it?" Baymax simply blinked and canted his head, as the two looked at him.

Dr. Bay smirked lightly, "I mean it, Tadashi. You really did it." But Tadashi immediately corrected her, "No, doc. _We_ did it."

The young doctor giggled, "Right, we make a great team, after all." Her face became sullen and serious suddenly, "Your father would be so proud. You know that, right? You combined your passions to create something that will help so many people. There could be no better way I can think of to honor his legacy…"

Tadashi simply smiled as he looked up proudly to their passion project, "Yeah… I wish Dad could see Baymax. But he'll live on through Baymax, through you and I…"

"Oh, that's right…" At that moment, Tadashi appeared like he just remembered something and began to fish through the pockets of his green blazer jacket. Finding exactly what he was looking for, he took out a green object that lay flat in his palm. "I want you to have this."

"This is…?" Lilly looked at the object outstretched towards her, she could see the smiling nurse symbol along the green chip. It had a label, marked in Tadashi's handwriting: "_Lilliana Bay._" The doctor recognized this as Baymax's healthcare chip, but she had not known that Tadashi had created another one. As there was obviously one within the active Baymax standing before them.

Tadashi handed the healthcare chip to Dr. Bay, "It's a beta-version of Baymax's current healthcare chip. In a manner of speaking, this one is different… special and unique." Dr. Bay immediately caught this, "Different? How so?"

Taking off his San Fransokyo Ninjas hat to rub his fingers along the embroidered symbol, it appeared that the young man was searching for the right words. With a knowing smile, he answered, "Well, it'll function like the other chip almost identically. But… let's just say that I took your advice from a long time ago. And it's all the more reason why I think this chip should remain with you, doc."

While Dr. Bay found his answer to be rather cryptic, she simply nodded as she looked at the green chip, "Thank you, Tadashi. I'll keep it safe, I promise." The two promptly hugged each other.

"I know you will, Dr. Bay..." After a while, they pulled apart. Donning the baseball cap once more, Tadashi suddenly grinned, "Now! How about we celebrate with a nice 'family photo?' What do you say, big guy?"

Baymax waddled away from them, "/Yes. I can take a picture of you two./" Tadashi chuckled, "No, silly. I mean all of us. You're part of our family, Baymax. How about you stand here next to Dr. Bay and I'll go set up my phone over there?"

"/Oh. All right./" Baymax waddled slowly back to his position beside Lilly, as Tadashi quickly set up his phone to face them. He laughed as he watched the healthcare companion take a copious amount of time to finally get to where they needed him. Once Baymax was there, Lilly quickly leaned into the robot and hugged him, "Ready to say 'cheese,' Baymax?"

"/Dr. Bay, I would advise to refrain from consuming dairy products as you are lactose-intolerant and could experience gastrointestinal issues/" Baymax tersely responded. Lilly laughed embarrassedly, "No, no, no. That means-"

Tadashi suddenly pressed the timer on his camera phone, "Okay, here we go, guys!" As he raced back to them, Dr. Bay forewent her idiomatic explanation and spurted out, "It's okay! I'll explain later, Baymax! Just wave hello to the camera!"

"/Oh./"

Quickly getting into his position to Baymax's side, Tadashi leaned back and slyly readied himself for the picture. Lilly laughing as she hugged the robot harder. As the timer counted down, Baymax waved his hand in a circular motion towards the camera phone, "/Hello. I am Baymax. You're personal-/"

* * *

At this moment, the video recording ended where the photograph took place. It was their family moment, captured in celebration of Baymax's successful completion. Dr. Bay rubbed a finger along her eye to wipe her tears away, "I… didn't know you recorded that moment, Baymax. Thank you for sharing that... I haven't heard his voice in so long…"

It was quite evident to Hiro that Dr. Bay shared a close relationship with Tadashi. The young boy remembered how powerful it is… to suddenly hear the voice of the one they lost. Tadashi's memory preserved through their work, through Baymax. Whether they knew they needed it or not, Baymax always seemed to provide a glimpse of Tadashi's presence at just the right moment.

Looking at the photograph, at Tadashi… more tears began to stream down her face as she tried to control herself, "I'm so sorry, Hiro." She chuckled embarrassedly, trying to stifle her sniffling. Before she could turn away to hide her tears, Hiro instinctively moved forward to hug her. Lilly was caught by surprise, and now a flood of emotions was threatening to overtake her. Emotions and thoughts she had been keeping at bay for a long time…

"I'm so, so sorry, Hiro. I've been meaning to come see you and Cass for so long… The truth is… The truth is, the last time I saw you… was at his funeral. But when I saw you… I couldn't bring myself to come see you. I wanted to… But I didn't know what to say to console you. Or even console myself…" Lilly's voice was stammering and weak.

Indeed, Dr. Bay was no stranger to death nor grieving survivors of the deceased. In medicine, it came with the territory. But this was different, more personal. In a sad twist of fate, Lilly had to attend the funerals of Toshiro and Helen Hamada, and of their beloved son, Tadashi. Each a piercing wound to her heart and soul. And for some reason that eluded her, this pain made it near impossible to bring her to interact with the surviving family of the Hamada's. Perhaps she was at a true loss for comforting words… or it was a subconscious form of emotional self-protection to avoid Hiro and Cass. Who would be reminders of those who she loved too, and lost as well. So, she spent this time diving into her work, a means of keeping herself productively occupied.

"It's okay, Dr. Bay. Really… You don't have to apologize."

Hearing the soft and calming voice from Tadashi's own brother, the doctor was pulled from her thoughts. Lilly opened her eyes, realizing that she was gripping and hugging Hiro very tightly. Naturally, Baymax was also hugging the both of them and providing care as he knows best. Lilly released her grasp of the boy, chuckling shyly, "Sorry…"

Although Hiro's eyes were sullen, the boy still managed to smirk at the doctor, "Hey, what did I say? You don't have to apologize, doc." Lilly chuckled, as she pulled her glasses away from her face so she could wipe her tears away.

Hiro continued, "I understand… I miss him, too. We all miss him. It hasn't been easy for any of us. But-"

Baymax still continued to hug his "mother," advising the young medical doctor, "/It is difficult when losing someone you care about. Everyone deals with grief differently. The bereavement process can take time and express itself in various ways. It can show up as anger or depression. But it can be beneficial for those who are grieving to come together and heal together./"

The young boy genius nodded at his healthcare companion, "That's right. Losing Tadashi… affected all of us in different ways. It still hurts… but thanks to you and Tadashi, I have Baymax beside me to help me heal. So, you don't have to regret not coming to see me. I'm just glad that I could actually get to meet you now, Dr. Bay. To meet the other person who helped bring Baymax to my life."

Lilly looked down at her glasses for a moment, reflecting on their kind words. A solemn smile crept onto her face, "Thank you, you two…" She swiped the last of her tears along and sniffled, placing her glasses back on. Taking a deep breath, she looked towards the young boy. In a way, it was heartwarming to see him, to see how he took after them… how he truly took after his family.

Then it occurred to her, she asked curiously, "If you didn't know about me before, how were you able to find out I helped create Baymax with your brother?"

Hiro chuckled, a finger absentmindedly stroking his cheek nervously, "Well… that's kind of hard to explain…" For obvious reasons, there was just so much that the boy genius would not be able to admit. The rescuing of Abigail within Silent Sparrow that would take away Baymax's original body… Their recent rescuing of Baymax through Project Penitent Sparrow…

Pointing towards Baymax, the boy attempted to explain, "Actually… he's not quite the 'original Baymax' per se… Or rather, that's not the original body that Tadashi had developed with you. His healthcare chip is, but the original body was lost… in an 'accident.'"

Lilly gasped, "What?" But Hiro quickly waved his hands in an attempt to continue explaining, lest she be worried over Baymax, "Don't worry! We were just able to recently retrieve the original Baymax body. But… When we were able to recover it, I found a hidden message from Tadashi about what to do if Baymax lost his healthcare chip… he mentioned you."

Immediately connecting it all, Dr. Bay's face brightened with excitement and surprise, "Because I have the other healthcare chip!" Hiro simply nodded.

Lilly shook her head in amazement, "I see… That Tadashi. He was always one to plan ahead, wasn't he?" Hiro smiled warmly, looking at the photograph of Tadashi with Dr. Bay and Baymax. The young boy chuckled softly, "Yeah, he was."

Dr. Bay faced Baymax, her hand hovering over his port. With a gentle push, the access port ejected out and the iconic green healthcare chip extended out. She looked at it, seeing Tadashi's name written across it. Lilly was grateful that whatever had happened to the original body, at least this chip was safe. She gently closed the access port back into the healthcare companion's chassis.

With a resolved expression, she looked towards Hiro, "Well then. How about we give my chip a new home?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, I admit that I had a lot of this ending in mind from the beginning, but it has certainly evolved and adapted with time. I am excited to develop it and let it unfold but this is quite a ride. We are nearing the end of this arc, which will lead to more! Especially my AU within an AU, the "Tempest Redux" series that reimagines the City of Monsters Arc and give the Amara sisters another story. I will also say, that I have also planted the seeds for another arc of its own, beginning with this chapter too. And it has me so excited with its potential on the themes it can explore! **

**Anyways, stay tuned! And thank you again for reading my work. Feedback is always appreciated, thank you to those who review. It helps reel me back in to continue writing! **


	36. Legacy (Final Part)

**Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.**

**Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow**

**Chapter 36: Legacy (Final Part)**

* * *

Walking within the halls of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, Baymax's distinctly squeaky footsteps could be heard throughout the building floor. Beside the robotic healthcare companion was Hiro and Dr. Bay, as the young medical doctor was left in a state of nostalgia seeing these halls again. It was quite some time since she had visited the SFIT campus, which was something she enjoyed when she took the opportunity to visit Tadashi to work on Baymax's development.

And as before, they stopped before the opaque glass door leading to Tadashi's old lab, which was now Hiro's own lab thanks to Professor Granville. Before opening the door, Hiro shyly laughed, "Don't mind the mess… I'm not as much of a clean, neat freak as Tadashi."

Dr. Bay giggled and shook her head, "No judgments here, Hiro." With a soft smile, Hiro opened the door to reveal the lab to Lilly. Despite the boy's disclaimer, much of the lab had actually remained to be similar to her memories of it. The large circular window that allowed light to enter and illuminate the room… the tables remained where they were before. But of course, there were the notable differences of various tools, schematics and projects still in progress. Organized chaos, reflecting the boy's own style compared to his brother's disciplined approach.

She noticed there was a plate of an unfinished almond butter sandwich and bags of gummy bears strewn throughout a desk. She chuckled, realizing the boy was still addicted to those snacks. With a hint of sarcasm and polite advisement, Dr. Bay commented, "Well, it's not _that_ messy… But you might want to clean up here and there. Wouldn't want you to get sick from any germs. And remember, a balanced diet helps fuel the brain just as much as it nourishes the body."

"/That is correct, Hiro. It is important to create a healthy working environment to improve productivity and personal health./" Baymax did not skip a beat, chiming in alongside his "mother."

"Yeah… Thanks… I'll do that _sometime_." Hiro rubbed his neck sheepishly and sighed, looking to Dr. Bay and Baymax, who were lifting their finger to make their point to the boy. It was a mannerism that she and Baymax shared, along with the sudden need to provide health advice. He could see how Tadashi must've coded this, just from spending time around Dr. Bay.

But there was one notable feature of the lab room that immediately caught Lilly's attention… A large figure in the corner of the room that was being draped by a white cloth. Noticing this, Hiro walked towards the figure and removed the cloth to reveal the dormant Baymax on a charging station. His eyes peacefully closed to create on single slit along his round head.

Dr. Bay walked forward and stood up in front of the sleeping machine, her hand lifting to affectionately lay along the robot's chest and hovering over the access port. She smiled as she looked back and forth between the active Baymax and the dormant one. This day had just gotten increasingly more interesting and shocking. It was an overwhelming feeling, to be here with two Baymaxes, alongside Hiro inside Tadashi's old lab.

Her hand lifted towards her own heart, lingering for a moment as she took the opportunity to process all of it. And then her hand slipped into the chest pocket of her physician white coat. Shortly, she pulled out a metallic protective case and opened it, revealing the distinct green healthcare matrix chip with her name handwritten on it.

Lilly looked towards Tadashi's younger brother, nodding to the boy as she moved towards him. Motioning her hand towards him with the chip in her grasp, she spoke resolutely, "Shall we get started?"

The young boy took the moment to observe the outward features of the other chip. Noting that it was nearly identical, aside from the handwritten "Lilliana Bay" by Tadashi's distinct penmanship. He nodded and gently took it from her hand, "Right."

Taking the healthcare chip, Hiro walked towards one of his holographic computer monitors and inserted it within one of the access ports. As it synced, the boy began to quickly tap away at the holographic keyboard and explain to them, "I'll have to run some quick diagnostics to see if there might be any issues with the chip before we install it to Baymax…"

The young boy's eyes shifted quickly as he looked at the screen, which was now being populated by various files and streams of code that Tadashi had painstakingly devised. With immense concentration, he continued explaining, "And… I want to see what Tadashi meant when he said this chip was 'unique and special…'"

Scanning through the data, it all at first looked like familiar streams of information and coding compared to Baymax's own current healthcare chip. Admittedly, Hiro was not as versed in A.I. coding as Tadashi had been, since his older brother had spent countless hours improving his technical knowledge in that field. Not to mention, Tadashi had gone through several hours of coding to get it right. Often times, simple perseverance with trial-and-error is what allowed Tadashi to create Baymax's code in the first place.

For Hiro, it was one of the most inspiring traits his brother had: his persevering work ethic. Tadashi, although talented and gifted, understood that it was hard work and constant improvement of himself that would lead to his greatest endeavors' successes.

Even Hiro knew that his own latently high intellect cannot always substitute for the hours required to gain an exceptional level of mastery. Looking at the coding, this was Tadashi's art that Hiro had to learn and analyze.

"Huh, I might've found something…" Along the data, Hiro noticed something that was different… something that wasn't something he had seen in the original healthcare chip. It was encrypted, as if Tadashi had intentionally sealed away these particular files and streams of data.

Much to Tadashi's credit, this particular encryption style could not be easily decrypted and was on par with some of the most sophisticated information security systems found within government databases. Of which, Hiro had to admit he had dabbled in deep diving in a simple test of his own hacking skills.

Dr. Bay and Baymax stared curiously as the young genius opened a secure compartment underneath his desk, taking out a headset with a VR visor. As he placed it on, circuitry along the headset glowed bright purple. This was another one of the boy's specially-designed devices that provided a cybernetic video display in connection with his Core Cyber Network.

Using the neural transmitter interface within the headset, Hiro was able to connect with the computer network and provide faster inputs with his thoughts while attempting to decrypt Tadashi's hidden files. The process was now no longer limited in pacing due to having to physically key in the inputs, but rather thinking it.

This allowed the young genius to hack with greater efficiency, speeding up the process. Despite the difficulty, it was an oddly fun challenge to attempt to decrypt the files against Tadashi's own encryption and safeguard protocols. In an odd sense, it was like he could feel his brother's presence through his meticulous work. _What was he storing away in this chip that needed to be safeguarded? _the boy wondered to himself.

With immense concentration, he was finally able to successfully decrypt the data into something that could be accessible. A triumphant smirk and smug expression glowed from the boy genius' face, as the boy remarked in a boastful and yet lighthearted manner, "It was a nice try, big brother. But you've never been able to keep me out of your stuff, remember?"

It caught the young medical doctor by surprise to see Hiro show another side of himself, one that was cocky and self-assured. But it was undeniable, the young boy was incredibly skilled and talented in this field. The boy seemed to have reasons to be so haughty. Not all that much unlike Dr. Hamada's own boisterous self. Lilly chuckled as she looked at the young genius, thinking to herself, _So smug._ _Just like your father. If only Helen could see you now._

The screen now changed, with a single database folder now populating both Hiro's visor and the screen for Dr. Bay to see. With her interest piqued, Lilly now had her hand resting atop the boy's shoulder as she leaned towards the monitor to observe.

The database folder had a rather curious name, to which Hiro muttered aloud, "Project Far Shore…?" Overcome with anticipation and curiosity, Hiro immediately attempted to access this folder.

Suddenly, the screen was flooded by innumerable data programs, audio files, coding processes and video file thumbnails. Immediately, Hiro and Dr. Bay's eyes widened when they recognized the images, with all of them including various pictures of the boys' parents, Dr. Toshiro and Helen Hamada.

"What is all this?" Hiro's gaze surfed along the screen and attempting to process all that he was seeing, asking aloud, "What was it that Tadashi was working on…?" He attempted to access deeper into the sub-folders of this hidden project. But suddenly, the screen began to jumble and become indiscernible. It all went blank, before a rapid stream of information flooded the screen:

* * *

/ERROR/

\C:/HAMADATADASHI/ Project_FAR_SHORE…\

/Attempting to Access Database… /Project_FAR_SHORE./

/…..Attempt Failed/

/ERROR/

\Scanning for error….\

/Bad sector identified— physical damage?/UNKNOWN/

/logical error? /UNKNOWN../

/H:\ is not accessible.

/The database /Project_FAR_SHORE/ is corrupted and unreadable/

* * *

"No, no, no, no! Come on! Please!" Hiro yelled as the boy encapsulated his hands around his head, desperately attempting to recover and access the files. But the attempts remained unsuccessful, the files being deemed currently corrupted and unreadable. His mind was racing almost uncontrollably.

Tadashi had left something behind, something different altogether. It involved his parents and was undeniably important enough to him for Tadashi to keep it secure. But now the files were corrupted, just beyond the boy genius' grasp.

In frustration, the young boy continued to grasp his headset tightly as he concentrated on attempting to access it. With each failed attempt, the boy gritted his teeth as his breathing became increasingly unsteady. "Please! I have to… I have to see what he was working on!" he cried out, as he was now closing his eyes. He had certainly found _something_, but it was frustratingly out of his reach to find out exactly what it was.

Suddenly feeling the warm embrace of not only Baymax but also Dr. Bay, Hiro could hear the doctor's soft, calming voice, "Hiro… You have to calm down, please." She felt Lilly hug him tightly, attempting to bring him back from this panicked state. Baymax continued for her, "/Hiro, try to calm your breathing. It will be okay./"

Opening his eyes, the young boy finally came to his senses and realized how rapidly distraught he had become. He slowly began to gain control of his breathing, while Dr. Bay gently lifted the headset from the boy's head. His frustrated expression became sullener as he looked down at the screen. His gaze affixed to the error message.

"Hey… that's it, Hiro. Try to take some deep breaths, okay?" Lilly spoke tenderly to the boy, as she lightly fixed and stroked his hair back into a manageable place. After a while, Hiro looked up at Dr. Bay with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Sorry… Guess I lost control a little…"

Dr. Bay shook her head, "That's okay. It's a lot to deal with. But… I'm sorry we weren't able to access Tadashi's files, Hiro." How could she blame him? Everything that his brother left behind was like a piece of him that remained in the world to remind them of his presence in their lives. She placed her hand along his shoulder comfortingly, "I don't know what he was working on, but there has to be a way we can access those files, right?"

The young boy sighed heavily, "It must be a bad sector within the drive that corrupted the files… It would be unbelievably difficult to piece together the data into something readable again…"

Hearing this, Lilly grinned as she quickly spun the chair for Hiro to face her. The boy was caught by surprise, his eyes wide when Dr. Bay suddenly placed both of her hands firmly along his shoulders and looked him in the eyes, "Then you are telling me that it _is_ _possible_, right?"

Hiro looked down once more, still notably sullen, "Yeah… but… Who knows how long it will take to-" Before the young boy could even complete his sentence, Lilly nudged him gently, "Hey… That never stopped Tadashi when he was making Baymax, did it?"

As the young boy's eyes rose up to see her gentle and reassuring smile, he could only muster up his own smile. He thought about Tadashi, this mystery that his brother had left behind. There was apparently more to Tadashi's legacy then the boy could have imagined. It would be an arduous task, but the boy knew it wasn't impossible for him.

It would just take time, but he would be able to figure out what Tadashi's "Project Far Shore" meant. Hiro took a deep breath, then chuckled, "No, it never stopped Tadashi from pushing forward… He never gave up, and I won't either… Thank you, Dr. Bay. Baymax."

"/You are welcome/" Baymax responded tersely. Lilly smiled warmly, "Spoken like a true Hamada. That's what I like to hear, Hiro." She ruffled his hair playfully, making the young boy laugh.

The young genius then disconnected the beta chip from the computer's access port, remarking, "Even if it will take time to unravel Tadashi's hidden project, we do have a functional Baymax chip for the original body. Now, we just have to test it out."

The boy motioned the chip to the doctor, by which she simply nudged it back towards him, "Something tells me you went through a lot to get Baymax back from that 'accident.' That you put in a lot of time to rebuild him and also to come find me… So, I think you should do the honors, Hiro."

Lilly waved her hand in the direction of the inactive Baymax, gently nudging the boy over to the sleeping healthcare companion. With the chip in hand, Hiro walked up to the dormant Baymax. Pressing along the access port, it extended outward to present the empty ports. He looked at the original body and paused for a moment, "Well… Moment of truth, right?" Dr. Bay and Baymax both nodded at the same time.

Inserting the healthcare chip into the access port, Hiro carefully pushed it into the body of the inactive robot. The boy stepped back slightly beside Dr. Bay and Baymax, while Lilly slyly stepped behind the young boy. She grinned playfully and deviously, as her hands silently floated nearby the boy's face, "Sorry, Hiro. I've been wanting to do this since you were a little kid…"

Primarily fixated on the inactive Baymax, Hiro could only question Lilly, "Do what, doc?" Unfortunately for the young boy, he was not prepared for the doctor to simultaneously pinch both of his cheeks along his face. He quickly yelped out, "OW!"

Hiro's cheeks flared, both from being pinched suddenly and from being flustered. He was completely caught off guard and did not expect that from Dr. Bay, quickly spinning around to face her as he rubbed his cheeks tenderly. "Hey… that hurt a little. I thought doctors were supposed to 'do no harm?'" the young boy pouted.

Lilly merely giggled, winking as she pointed behind the boy, "Well, it woke _him_ up, didn't it?"

Suddenly, Hiro could hear a very familiar, robotic voice speak behind him, "[Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion. I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said 'ow']"

Once again, Hiro spun around to greet Tadashi's Baymax, "B-Baymax! Hey! It worked! You're finally active, buddy!" The newly-activated Baymax was quickly greeted with a hug from the young boy, "[Hello, fourteen-year-old boy. On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your pain?]"

Hiro chuckled as he touched his reddened cheeks, "Oh, I'm okay, Baymax. Thanks. It's a zero, really…" Much to the boy's surprise, the other Baymax spoke up, "/I am detecting minor erythematic inflammation along your face, with no contusions. I recommend a warm compress to ease the pain./"

The beta-chip Baymax looked up at his counterpart, simply blinking as if to process this, then looking down at the young boy once again, "[I would concur with my fellow healthcare companion. Thank you for the assistance]"

The other Baymax simply nodded, "/I am designed to help./" At this point, the beta-chip Baymax activated a gently-warm heat pad along his palms, cupping Hiro's face where he was pinched.

Through pursed lips, Hiro attempted to reason with the newly-active healthcare companion, "No, I'm fine, really!" This was an unprecedented situation for the young boy genius, to have both Baymaxes to deal with at the same time. He became even more flustered by the attention, to which the other Baymax took notice, "/Hiro. You appear to be in distress. Perhaps a hug will calm you down./"

Hiro nervously chuckled, "No, I'm okay, Baymax! Erm… Baymaxes!" Lilly couldn't help but giggle as the young boy unsuccessfully attempted to weasel away from the two marshmallow-shaped healthcare companions, who were both hugging and sandwiching the boy.

Seeing the futility in trying to escape, Hiro simply pouted as he looked towards the giggling doctor who was now taking a selfie with all of them to savor this wholesome moment. The young boy lightly scowled, "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You know I could've just yelled 'ow' _without_ the pinch, right?"

Lilly laughed deviously and mockingly cooed at the young boy, "What's the matter? Does 'Little Hiro' need more hugs?" At that, Lilly spread her arms out wide and joined the hug-fest, doing her best to hug the two Baymaxes and Hiro. She nestled herself into the dual marshmallow combo.

"Unbelievable…" The young genius groaned and continued to pout for a moment, until he couldn't help but laugh heartily along with Dr. Bay. The two then closed their eyes as they were both now being embraced by the two Baymaxes, who had both picked up on their emotional states. Cherishing this wholesome and heartfelt moment, they both felt truly blessed to have this reunion with all of them together.

Hiro smiled as he nestled his head into Tadashi's Baymax, speaking softly, "Welcome home, Baymax." It was a whirlwind of emotion, to be here with the same Baymax that his brother worked on and had its own mysterious chip. To be with the one that has grown to be his family. And to meet the person who helped Tadashi bring them both into his life. In this moment, he truly felt it… As the thought occurred to him: _Tadashi is here._

* * *

**Author's Note: I will have to say… this isn't the final chapter of this series… I know, I know. I am absolutely terrible at gauging chapter sizes. This scene took some time to write, not entirely sure if I delivered it the way I envisioned it. But I think it was powerful on its own and was better off not to be coupled with the next scenes for the actual epilogue chapter(s) called "**_**Family**_**." Particularly since the next scenes will be heavy in their own way, so I liked how this was more light-hearted in its end.**

**I will say, just like Abigail, I am really enjoying the freedom to develop Lilly's character, history and personality. In the actual series, I hope that characters like Abigail and Lilly (who I really hope will be called Dr. Bay) will show up and be given time to introduce their characters within the canon more. **

**I must apologize, this chapter also acts a teaser for a future series arc that will most likely come after my completion of the **_**Tempest Redux series (CoM re-imagining AU). **_**It will be aptly named **_**Big Hero 6: The Far Shore.**_** Which is also in the works in my noodle, so please stay tuned in the future!**

**Anyways, this isn't the finish line just yet for the Penitent Sparrow arc. After all, the relationship between Abigail, Professor Callaghan and Hiro was the true focus of this arc in its entirety. So stay tuned for the true epilogue chapters!**


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